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Details: Created on Wednesday, 09 May 2018 16:50

SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Residents of Illinois
Affected by Severe Storms and Flooding

WASHINGTON – Illinois businesses and residents affected by the severe storms and flooding from Feb. 14 through March 4, 2018, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Linda McMahon announced today.

Administrator McMahon made the loans available in response to a letter from Gov. Bruce Rauner on April 27, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. The declaration covers Iroquois, Kankakee and Vermilion counties and the adjacent counties of Champaign, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Grundy, Livingston and Will in Illinois; and Benton, Lake, Newton, Vermillion and Warren in Indiana.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Illinois with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans,” said McMahon. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

“Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” said SBA’s Illinois District Director Robert Steiner.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

“Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property,” said Richard Morgan, acting director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may now include a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 3.58 percent for businesses, 2.5 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 1.813 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amount and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at Disasterloan.sba.gov.

Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be returned to a center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road,
Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 6, 2018. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 7, 2019.

For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov/disaster.

Details: Created on Tuesday, 08 May 2018 12:31

IEMA Highlights Emergency Preparedness for People
with Access and Functional Needs in May

Ready Illinois website offers preparedness tips for people, caregivers

SPRINGFIELD –While most disasters can’t be prevented, the stress of such situations can be reduced significantly through personal preparedness. This is particularly important for households with members who have disabilities, functional needs or may need assistance during an emergency.

Throughout May, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies will highlight the importance of disaster preparedness for people with functional and access needs.

“Disasters can cause power outages, force people to evacuate their homes or create other dangerous situations,” said IEMA Acting Director William P. Robertson. “We encourage everyone to be prepared, especially those who may have medical, functional or access needs.”

Robertson said IEMA has information available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov) to help people and caregivers prepare for emergencies. A guidebook, Emergency Preparedness Tips for Those with Functional Needs, offers preparedness tips for people with visual, cognitive or mobility impairments, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, those who utilize service animals or life support systems, and senior citizens.

For each functional need, the guidebook provides a list of supplemental items for a disaster kit, tips on developing an emergency plan, suggestions on how to be better informed about community emergency planning, and a checklist of preparedness activities.

The Ready Illinois website also offers more than two dozen preparedness videos in American Sign Language on such topics as what to do before, during and after tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flooding, how to build an emergency supply kit, and what to do if you’re instructed to evacuate.

Details: Created on Tuesday, 08 May 2018 09:27

Gov. Rauner Announces SBA Assistance Approved for Iroquois, Kankakee, Vermilion Counties

Residents and Businesses Can Apply for Low-Interest, Long-Term Loans to Boost Recovery from February Floods

SPRINGFIELD (May 7, 2018) – Gov. Bruce Rauner today announced the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the state’s request for assistance to help people and businesses in Iroquois, Kankakee and Vermilion counties recover from severe storms and floods that occurred in February.

In addition, people and businesses in counties contiguous to the declared counties also are eligible to apply for low-interest, long-term loans. This includes the Illinois counties of Champaign, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Grundy, Livingston and Will and the Indiana counties of Benton, Lake, Newton, Vermillion and Warren.

“This assistance will help many people and businesses begin the next phase of their recovery from this disaster,” said Gov. Rauner.

To be eligible for an SBA declaration, at least 25 homes and/or businesses in a county must sustain major, uninsured losses of 40 percent or more. A damage assessment conducted in March by the SBA determined 74 homes and nine businesses in Iroquois County, 28 homes and three businesses in Kankakee County, and 21 homes and seven businesses in Vermilion County met that criteria.

More information about the disaster loan program and details about Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) will be announced by the SBA in the near future.

Details: Created on Monday, 05 March 2018 08:37

IEMA Urges People to Prepare for Severe Weather

IEMA, IESMA Sponsor Online Weather Alert Radio Contest in March

SPRINGFIELD – As recent widespread flooding demonstrates, severe weather can happen any time of the year. To help people prepare for weather emergencies, IEMA and local emergency management agencies will be promoting Severe Weather Preparedness Month throughout March.

“We want to make sure families have a plan in advance, just in case they’re ever impacted by severe weather,” said IEMA Acting Director Jennifer Ricker. “Throughout the month of March, we’ll help people understand where they should take shelter, the importance of having a family communications plan, and what should be included in their preparedness kit.”

IEMA and the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) are also sponsoring an online contest that offers Illinois residents a chance to win a weather alert radio. The “Weather Alert Radios Save Lives” contest will be available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov through March 31.

A total of 100 weather alert radios will be awarded to randomly selected participants who register after reading information about the radios and successfully completing a five-question quiz. Winners will be notified in April. The radios were purchased by IESMA to increase the use of the devices throughout Illinois.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert radios can be programmed to sound an alarm and provide information when a weather warning has been issued for your county. Other ways to receive severe weather warnings include Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), weather alert apps, TV and radio broadcasts, the Internet, outdoor warning sirens and more.

“Standing among the ruins of their Saline County home, a man, woman and their infant child told me they were thankful for the precious time their NOAA weather alert radio gave them to take shelter,” said McHenry County Emergency Management Director and IESMA Board Member David Christensen, referring to the Feb. 29, 2012, pre-dawn tornado that struck Saline County. “Those three lives saved convinced me of the value of these radios.”

A Severe Weather Preparedness Guide, which provides tips on how to prepare for weather emergencies is available on the Ready Illinois website. Additional tips and information are Available on the Ready Illinois Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter Page (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois).

"Please keep in mind, if there are flooded roads it is very simple, don't drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don't Drown,” said Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS office in Lincoln. “Nearly all of the people who have died in floods across Illinois were in vehicles."

Details: Created on Thursday, 01 February 2018 09:24

IEMA Encourages People to Prepare for Earthquakes

February 7 is 206th anniversary of major quake in New Madrid Seismic Zone

SPRINGFIELD – Some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in North America rocked the mostly rural central U.S. between December 1811 and February 1812, including parts of southern Illinois. The strongest earthquakes in this series were estimated to be around magnitude 8.0, and were felt as far away as the East Coast.

Today, this multi-state region is heavily populated and highly developed. A similar earthquake now would cause widespread devastation to buildings, utilities, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, as well as result in many injuries and deaths. While damage would be less severe in other parts of Illinois, utility outages, road closures and disruptions to deliveries of essential supplies would significantly impact the lives of most Illinoisans.

Recognizing the earthquake risk in Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies will promote earthquake preparedness throughout February.

“In addition to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where the 1811-12 quakes occurred, southern Illinois is also adjacent to the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone,” said IEMA Interim Director Jennifer Ricker. “We can’t predict when the next devastating earthquake in this region will happen, but we can help people learn how to protect themselves and reduce damage to their homes.”

Ricker said people need to remember to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” when they feel the ground shaking: “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 ends.

There are several steps people can take to help prevent injuries and property damage at home, such as strapping water heaters and large appliances to wall studs, anchoring overhead fans and light fixtures, and securing cabinet doors with latches. IEMA offers several short videos on do-it-yourself earthquake home mitigation projects at https://www.illinois.gov/iema/Mitigation/Pages/EarthquakeMitigationVideos.aspx.

For additional earthquake preparedness information, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov or follow IEMA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois).