Cook County issued a disaster proclamation Monday seeking state and federal aid for communities greatly affected by heavy storms and tornadoes in mid-July.
Between July 14 and July 15, Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security Executive Director Ted Berger said the county saw 16 confirmed tornadoes and a rare derecho event, or long-lasting thunderstorm with high winds that can cause similar damage to a tornado.
Nearly a month after the storms, many suburban communities are still dealing with the aftermath. Harvey, Dolton, Flossmoor and Robbins were among the hardest hit, county officials said in a news release.
The disaster proclamation, signed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, notifies the state that the county wishes to pursue federal financial assistance for residents, Berger said.
“It is unclear if we will qualify, but we do believe the evidence is strong enough that we should pursue this type of support for our residents and our municipal partners,” Berger said.
Since the storms, Berger said the agency has worked with municipal leaders to document the damage and costs incurred by residents while dealing with repairs.
“That has been a significant undertaking, in partnership with our municipal public safety leaders and so many village mayors, managers and their staffs,” Berger said. “We reached a point where we believe the damage was significant and evident enough to potentially qualify for federal assistance.”
In July, Flossmoor, Homewood and Thornton partnered with the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security to distribute surveys aimed at assessing the damage and determining eligibility for federal aid.
Homewood village manager Napoleon Haney said even though residents had limited time to fill out the form and submit photographs, there was an overwhelming response.
“We had a pretty phenomenal turnout as far as residents submitting their information online. So we were excited about that, that there was a honest and true response to the call to submit information,” Haney said.
This week, the county’s emergency management agency will coordinate a joint preliminary damage assessment with state and federal agencies. Berger said this assessment will compile damage reports from residents and municipal partners and determine if the area might qualify for federal assistance.
The storms left thousands without power, along with debris, fallen trees, broken glass and other property damage. Although crews cleared much of the debris from roadways, Berger said many residents are still dealing with property damage.
Berger said the county received hundreds of damage reports for homes and businesses, with more than 1,000 individual property damage reports across 34 municipalities. Municipalities also reported more than $5 million in damage to public infrastructure and response costs.
Should Gov. JB Pritzker sign the disaster proclamation, Haney said he hopes residents are offered individual financial aid to recoup some of the costs incurred.
“Whatever that assistance can be to the resident that would be awesome,” Haney said. “Even if they submitted damages through an insurance company, I’m sure there may be some gaps. Assistance could make bridge those gaps.”
Homeowners with private insurance might have coverage for the storm’s damage. However, Berger acknowledged many residents in heavily may lack insurance, making financial assistance vital for repairing the damage.
“We want to recognize that we still have residents that are hurting, and so pursuing this type of assistance is necessary to see what, if any, additional resources may be available to support them in this long-term recovery process,” he said.
Haney said the village could also use financial assistance to address its significant costs associated with the cleanup efforts.
“We’re still incurring costs from the storm,” Haney said.
The village is in the process of ordering a tub grinder, which is a large machine used to grind down trees and branches removed after storms, he said.
If the state signs the disaster proclamation, Berger said there is a possibility of receiving federal assistance.
Berger noted the county received funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration following the major flooding events in Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland.
If President Joe Biden issues a major disaster declaration for the July storms, Berger said the aid could resemble that provided in 2023, including direct federal financial assistance for residents and low-interest loans.
Berger said teams from the Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security, FEMA and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will be in 25 different communities across the county to follow up on damage reports.
“We’re kindly requesting for residents to tell their story of their impact and how the storms did impact their home, their property, their family,” he said. “That is useful information to tell the story of what a significant extreme weather event we experienced, and whether or not we will, in fact, qualify for additional resources.”
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com
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