Illinois again denied FEMA aid for summer storms
(The Center Square) – Illinois was again denied federal aid that would have helped residents impacted by severe storms in recent months was rejected by the federal government.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced Thursday afternoon that the request for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency over multiple severe weather systems and a derecho that passed through Illinois counties in July and August was denied.
Pritzker, who has previously been hopeful to work in a bipartisan manner with the agency to secure aid for Illinoisans, was critical of the agency in June.
“FEMA is a mess. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, they’ve cut back significantly on the support that they give when there are emergencies. They are slow in responding with the dollars that they promise. And there are only so many dollars that a state has for what should be covered,” Pritzker said.
In response to the denial, officials at the state and federal level from Illinois reacted critically.
Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Ted Berger said the federal response wasn’t what they hoped for.
“This is not the update we hoped to share with the communities that continue to recover from the devastating storms we experienced in August,” Berger said. “While we are disappointed by this decision, our mission has not changed.”
The state led the nation and broke its record for the number of tornados that have hit the state, with at least 212 having touched down according to the National Weather Service.
In February, officials announced FEMA denied the state’s last disaster declaration request and appeal. The request would’ve allowed thousands of residents to apply for federal assistance after a major storm produced widespread damage last August.
Both senators from Illinois, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, reacted to Thursday’s denial by pinning political blame on Trump.
“Much like a toddler throwing a tantrum, Donald Trump continues to punish Americans who live in states that did not support him in the last election. This behavior is beneath the dignity of the office he holds,” Durbin said.
According to the declaration that led to the recent denial, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Community Development Block Grant program made funds available through Disaster Response, a program funded by the federal Housing and Urban Development department.
Pritzker has been clear that he believes the state cannot cover the cost of storm damage and aid alone every time, even if residents receive some assistance from other federal sources like the Small Business Administration.
“If we don’t receive – and we have received in some cases – support from the SBA, for example, for loans for families for businesses. We’ve also in some cases received disaster assistance,” Pritzker said. “But again, the state government doesn’t have the resources to fill in all the holes that the federal government has now made for states across the country.”
Pritzker’s office said the state would appeal the FEMA decision based on the “extent of the damage – including extensive property and infrastructure damage, power outages, flooding, and more.”
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