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Several Illinois counties granted disaster declaration

Southeast Missourian

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced that 14 Illinois counties have been granted a federal disaster declaration.

Under the federal declaration, people and businesses in Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hardin, Jackson, Lawrence, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, White and Williamson counties are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.

People who were affected by spring flooding on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in Southern Illinois have been pushing for a disaster declaration for weeks, after many Southeast Missouri counties had already been granted federal assistance to recover from flooding.

Quinn submitted a request for assistance May 24.

According to an Illinois Emergency Management Agency news release, the request included documentation from a damage assessment that found 109 homes destroyed by severe storms and flooding, nearly 350 homes that suffered major damage and 500 others that were also damaged. The assessment also found 87 businesses that sustained damage from the floods and storms.

The federal disaster declaration makes assistance available to flood and storm victims, including grants to individuals and households to help with temporary housing, home repairs or replacement and other disaster-related expenses, as well as low-interest SBA loans to residents and businesses.

FEMA, which administers the federal assistance program, has a toll-free telephone number 800-621-FEMA or 800-462-7585 (TTY) for hearing and speech impaired for those affected by flooding to apply for assistance. Registration can also be completed online at www.fema.gov.

Additional information about the state's storm response efforts is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

And the walls came tumbling down...

...well, actually, just the opposite.

The (levee) walls protecting Cairo held.