Illinois Submits Appeal for Individual Assistance to Aid 1.4 Million Illinois Flood Survivors

Also seeks to add Lee County to existing Public Assistance Disaster Declaration

SPRINGFIELD -- Today, Governor JB Pritzker filed an appeal on behalf of the citizens of Illinois strongly requesting the federal government reconsider its decision to deny Individual Assistance (IA) to residents under the federal Stafford Act following the historic spring flooding that occurred along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Additionally, the State is also seeking the inclusion of Lee County into the state’s existing Public Assistance disaster declaration. 

“My administration is aggressively appealing these decisions because we are committed to pursuing every opportunity to secure the federal funding that will help our communities recover,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are more than three months removed from this disaster and individuals, businesses and local governments are still feeling its impact. We will leave no stone unturned in our work to ensure our communities get the resources they deserve and we will stand with our partners in every region of the state to ensure all Illinoisans can rebuild.” 

Illinois’ original request for Individual Assistance (IA) was submitted shortly after FEMA adopted a new rule regarding how the agency will evaluate the requests for IA. The new rule was a direct result of legislation passed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Illinois’ request is among the first, if not the first, to be evaluated under the new rule which identifies six factors for funding consideration. 

“Given that Illinois’ request is one of the very first to be evaluated using the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new IA factors – and certainly the largest such request to date – it is imperative that FEMA strike the proper balance when evaluating these factors,” said Acting IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Every state in the nation is watching, as the ultimate resolution of Illinois’ request could significantly impact how requests for IA are decided for years to come.” 

In this appeal, the State of Illinois provides additional information and justifications to make its case for an IA designation even stronger. This new documentation provides evidence of ongoing impacts to individuals and community infrastructure as a direct result of the disaster, and underscores that an effective recovery is not likely to occur without federal assistance to individuals and households.

Public Assistance Appeal

Today the Federal Emergency Management Agency also received documentation on behalf of Lee County seeking to include this county to the State’s existing Public Assistance disaster declaration. 

A recent joint Preliminary Damage Assessment conducted by FEMA, IEMA and local jurisdictions identified additional damage not collected during a previous assessment conducted in July. This new data brings Lee County’s disaster related costs to more than $387,000, an increase of over $285,000 from the county’s previously validated costs. Based on these findings, Lee County exceeds its countywide per capita impact indicator and should be granted inclusion in the state’s PA designation.