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What does the state disaster declaration mean for me?
Governor Quinn declared 44 counties state disaster areas. This ensures all available state resources are available to help local officials respond to and recover from the disaster. The declaration also is necessary for the state to seek federal assistance.
Assistance to individuals at this point includes:
- Assistance from the American Red Cross and other non-profit organizations, including shelters, food,
and flood clean-up kits. - Low-Interest loan program administered by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
(http://www.treasurer.il.gov).
My home was flooded. What should I do now?
- Contact your local emergency management agency to report damage to your home. For a list of local EMAs, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
- If you have flood insurance, contact your insurance company to report your damage.
- Even if you don’t have flood insurance, you should still contact your insurance company to ensure all potential assistance has been sought.
- Take pictures of the damage and make a list of any possessions damaged or destroyed.
- Keep receipts for costs incurred during the flood, such as receipts for hotels, clean-up, replacement and repair.
- Be safe when cleaning your home or making repairs.
Can I apply for federal assistance right now?
Federal assistance is not available at this time. However, local and state officials are working together to gather information needed to support a state request for federal assistance.
What is the state doing to get assistance for people affected by flooding?
The state of Illinois currently is taking steps necessary to request federal assistance. This includes:
The state of Illinois currently is taking steps necessary to request federal assistance. This includes:
- Collecting initial damage information from your local officials (that’s why it’s important for you to make your local officials aware of your damage).
- Preparing to conduct damage assessments in coordination with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) beginning April 29. These assessments will document the severity of damage to primary homes and businesses.
The state will use this information as part of its request to FEMA to demonstrate the critical need for federal assistance. FEMA’s review of the request and decision announcement could take up to 30 days from when the request is submitted.
What will a federal disaster declaration mean to me?
People affected by flooding could be eligible for:
- Grants from FEMA. NOTE: assistance does not cover insured loss.
- Low-interest loans from the SBA.
For more information, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov or contact your local emergency management agency.
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The exercise will take place at the 1400 block of Hobson Drive in Rantoul and at the hangars of the former Chanute Air Force Base. The Village of Rantoul Police and Fire Departments are not participating. This a Champaign County Emergency Management and Illinois National Guard exercise. The realistic exercise is necessary to ensure the local, state and the Illinois National Guard first responders are prepared to protect the public and mitigate the disaster. Some of the exercise scenarios included are law enforcement, hazardous materials, mass causalities and rescue operations. This exercise is a culmination of almost a year of planning efforts.
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Lt. Ed Ogle from the Champaign County Sheriff's Office gave a presentation to the EMA Search and Rescue Volunteer group on evidence preservation. Date- 3/11/13 at 1900 Hours given in the METCAD EOC.
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Eight people lost their lives and more than 100 others were injured as a result of the tornado.
Fortunately, some residents were awakened by alarms broadcasted over their weather alert radios and were able to seek shelter before the tornado hit.
In an effort to increase public awareness of weather alert radios, local and state emergency management officials today launched a statewide contest. The Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) are sponsoring the “Weather Alert Radios Save Lives” contest, in which participants will take an online quiz for a chance to win one of 100 weather alert radio to be awarded.
The contest will be highlighted throughout March, which is Severe Weather Preparedness Month in Illinois.
“Having a weather alert radio in your home can be a real lifesaver, much like a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. “Each of these devices can alert you to hazards, even while you’re sleeping, and give you time to get to a safe place.”
The contest is available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov), the IESMA website (www.iesma.org) and on many county and municipal emergency management agency websites. A total of 100 weather alert radios will be awarded to participants who register after reading information about the radios and successfully completing a five-question quiz. The contest runs from Feb. 28 through March 31. Winners will be announced in April.
“Every home and business should have a weather alert radio,” said IESMA President Russ Thomas.
IESMA purchased the weather alert radios as part of a program to increase emergency preparedness in local schools, hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and government buildings throughout Illinois. During 2013 and 2014, IESMA plans to place 800 weather alert radios in local facilities.
The National Weather Service (NWS) and state and local emergency management officials strongly encourage people to have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology, which allows the radio to be programmed to receive alerts for specified counties.
When an alert is issued for the programmed area, the device will sound a warning alarm tone followed by the broadcast message.
Besides weather information, the NWS also broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards, including natural, environmental and public safety hazards, such as earthquakes, chemical spills and AMBER alerts.
“Despite the drought last year, Illinois still had dozens of tornadoes and hundreds of severe thunderstorms that damaged property, injured 125 and tragically killed nine people,” said Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln. “This underscores how important it is for people to be prepared at all times. You should identify a place at home and work to take shelter from tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, and have multiple ways to receive hazardous weather information, such as apps for electronic devices or a weather alert radio."
IEMA and the NWS developed a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide, which provides information about tornadoes, severe storms, lightning and flooding and recommended actions to take before, during and after each of these weather events.
The guide also includes definitions of important weather terms, including watches, warnings and advisories and a list of items needed for a family emergency supply kit. It is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov or by calling (217) 785-9925.
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