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Illinois Residents Encouraged to Register for ‘The Great ShakeOut’ Earthquake Drill
‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ Drill Set for October 15
SPRINGFIELD – At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, millions of people across the U.S. and in several countries around the globe will take a few minutes to practice actions that could save their lives in the event of an earthquake. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies are encouraging people in Illinois to take part in the annual Great ShakeOut drill.
“The ShakeOut drill is a quick, easy way to practice earthquake preparedness,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “It takes very little time, so it works well for schools and office buildings. You simply drop down to the ground, take cover under a table or other piece of heavy furniture and hold on.”
Illinois has participated in ShakeOut drills for the past five years. In October 2014, nearly 578,000 Illinoisans took part in the nationwide earthquake drill. To date, more than 534,000 people in Illinois are registered for the October ShakeOut event.
Joseph noted that some of the most powerful earthquakes to ever occur in the U.S. happened a little more than 200 years ago in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which reaches into southern Illinois. That series of earthquakes lasted for several months and shaking was felt as far away as the East Coast.
Schools, businesses, government agencies, families and others can register to participate in the drill at www.shakeout.org/centralus. Registered participants will receive additional information about the drill and earthquake preparedness. While the international drill will take place on Oct. 15, individual drills can be conducted anytime within two weeks of that date.
The drill focuses on the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” protective actions people should take when an earthquake begins: “Drop” down to the floor, take “Cover” under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture, and “Hold On” to the furniture item and be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.
Additional information about the earthquake risk in Illinois and steps to take before, during and after an earthquake is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
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The ILACP partnered with 286 state traffic safety agencies, state, county and local law enforcement agencies, railroads, railroad police agencies, as well as, private companies during the week of September 14th. through September 20th in an effort to bring an increased awareness to the issue of rail safety.
The week focused on enforcement efforts. Officers across the state issued 1191 warnings and 712 citations for rail related traffic violations.
The week also focused on educational efforts which included:
•140 Operation Lifesaver Presentations
•176 Press releases
•44,179 flyers
•Hundreds of television, newspaper, internet, social media and web page items.
By taking a statewide, all-industry approach the ILACP and our partners plan to build on existing programs and initiatives and bring greater public attention to these issues. In the end, we are hopeful that these partnerships and our efforts will reduce or eliminate injuries and or fatalities that occur at highway-rail crossings or on railroad property.
For more information checkout www.illinoisrailsafetyweek.org.
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IEMA Encourages People to Plan for Emergencies
‘Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today’ is Theme for National Preparedness Month in September
SPRINGFIELD – Since the beginning of 2015, Illinois residents have endured blizzard conditions, tornadoes, flooding, windstorms and excessive heat. For some, this weather caused temporary inconveniences, such as power outages or blocked roads. However, hundreds of others in Illinois are still working to get their lives back to normal after storms or flooding damaged or destroyed their homes and personal belongings.
While severe weather and other disasters can’t be prevented, having an emergency preparedness plan can help people stay safe and recover sooner after an event.
As part of National Preparedness Month in September, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies throughout Illinois are joining local, state and federal agencies across the U.S. in a nationwide push to encourage personal preparedness. The theme for this year’s national preparedness campaign is ‘Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.’
“Having an emergency plan and discussing that plan with others in your home is key to staying safe in an emergency,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “If a disaster occurs when your family is apart, does everyone know how to contact each other and where to meet? There’s no time like right now to have that discussion and make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected.”
Joseph said IEMA offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov), a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and after disasters.
In addition, throughout September IEMA will post daily preparedness tips on the Ready Illinois Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (@ReadyIllinois).
During disasters, IEMA uses the Ready Illinois website, Facebook and Twitter pages to provide critical information about the incident, including shelter locations, road closures, safety information, photos and more.
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SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available in Illinois
Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration
ATLANTA - The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes located in Illinois as a result of excessive rain and flooding beginning on June 1, 2015.
The disaster declaration includes all counties in Illinois except for Lake; the counties of Clinton,
Des Moines, Jackson, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott in Iowa; and Cape Girardeau, Clark, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Mississippi, Perry, Pike, Ralls, Saint Charles, Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, Sainte Genevieve and Scott in Missouri.
“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers.
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.625 percent for private non-profit organizations of all sizes and 4 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to
Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than April 12, 2016.
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For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov/disaster
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USDA Designates 87 Counties in Illinois as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
With Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2015 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 87 counties in Illinois including Champaign County as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred during the period of June 1, 2015, and continues.
“Our hearts go out to those Illinois farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling Illinois producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”
All counties and city listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Aug. 12, 2015, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.
Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, The Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
For a complete listing of USDA designated disaster areas go online at http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/11420e7.
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