ST. LOUIS — If your property was damaged by severe storms and flooding this July in the Metro East, you can now apply for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding on July 13-16 caused major damage to homes, businesses, roads and even an animal shelter. Disaster assistance applications are now open for affected homeowners and renters in Illinois' Cook, Fulton, Henry, St. Clair, Washington, Will and Winnebago counties.
Those with insurance that covers the damage to their property should first file a claim. Those uninsured or underinsured for the losses can apply for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
FEMA asked that you have the following information available when applying:
- Current phone number.
- Address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are currently staying.
- Social security number.
- A general list of damage and losses.
- Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
- If insured, your policy number or agent and/or the company name.
At least one member of the household must comply with citizenship criteria to qualify for disaster assistance.
After applying, your request will be reviewed to determine if an inspection is needed to verify storm damage to your home and property. FEMA may contact you to discuss the damage, according to the agency's website.
Recovery teams will soon be out in affected neighborhoods to provide support, and recovery centers will be opening for residents to receive in-person help, according to the agency.
President Joe Biden signed the federal Major Disaster Declaration will allow people with individual property damage to recover but the funds will not pay for local roads to be repaired that were washed out, according to officials in St. Clair County.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker commented on the major declaration, saying, "Millions of residents across the state have incurred damages from the severe weather in July due to torrential rain and flash flooding. To further support affected communities, I have been working with the federal government to mobilize every available resource and bring federal programs to provide relief for our residents. I want to thank President Biden, FEMA and IEMA-OHS (Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security) for their swift coordination of this ongoing recovery."
Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) also commented on the matter Monday.
"We continue to coordinate services and assign specialized resources from various state agencies to assist in the recovery from this severe storm," IEMA-OHS Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau said. "Our Recovery Division teams are integrally involved in the effort with our local and county partners in bringing multiple Federal programs to these seven counties to recover from the severe weather in July."
