State Requests Joint Damage Assessment for Stephenson County

Additional assessment is next step in flood recovery process

SPRINGFIELD -- The state of Illinois continues to seek ways to support recovery efforts in northern Illinois following devastating flooding along the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers. At this time, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) plans to initiate the next steps in disaster recovery, by requested a joint damage assessment with representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  The information gathered by these teams could be used to support an SBA disaster declaration.  If approved, the SBA declaration would enable people and business in Stephenson County, and those in the contiguous counties, to apply for low-interest, long-term loans. 

“As we continue to watch rivers and streams fluctuate, finding available resources for communities and their residents has become a necessity,” said Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau.  “As we look at the flood outlook for our state, we know that the road to recovery will be a long and difficult path, but the State of Illinois stands ready to help as flood victims begin to rebuild.”

To be eligible for an SBA declaration, at least 25 homes and/or businesses in a county must sustain major, uninsured losses of 40 percent or more.  Initial local damage assessments indicate the number of damaged homes or businesses should meet the required SBA requirements; however, the numbers do not meet the threshold for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

The State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield remains activated in support of the flood response and recovery efforts throughout Illinois. To date, more than 650,000 sandbags have been prepositioned along rivers, levees and critical infrastructure to protect Illinois communities.