Gov. Bruce Rauner today asked President Donald Trump to approve federal assistance to help people in Iroquois, Kankakee and Vermilion counties recover from severe storms and flooding in February. 

“Many people affected by this flood event face a difficult road to recovery,” Rauner said. “Federal assistance is needed to help them repair their homes and replace personal property that was destroyed.”

Rauner noted that for many residents of Watseka, the February flood marked the third significant flood event they’ve experienced in the last three years, and the fourth in the past 10 years.

Joint assessment teams from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reviewed damage in the three counties in March. Nearly 1,100 residences were impacted during this event, including 157 homes found to have sustained major damage and one home that was destroyed.

If Governor Rauner’s request for Individual Assistance is approved, people in the approved counties would be eligible to apply for grants and low-interest SBA loans. In addition, affected businesses would be able to apply for low-interest SBA loans.