State and federal storm damage teams have been canvassing Bloomington-Normal this week to assess and verify damage from the mid-August storms.
Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for McLean County and several other Central Illinois counties following severe storms and flooding from Aug. 11-16. The disaster declaration opens the door for federal assistance if damage reaches a certain threshold.
“We’re really at that beginning step and these damage assessments are a necessary step in that process,” said Kim Keblish, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]. Representatives from FEMA, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency [IEMA], the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] and the McLean County Emergency Management Agency were going door-to-door in Bloomington-Normal on Tuesday to compile new claims and verify existing ones.
When they were unable to connect with a home or property owner who had visible damage, they would hang a door hangar that includes a QR code where they could submit a claim.
Speaking to reporters in an east Bloomington neighborhood on Standish Drive, IEMA Deputy Director Clayton Kuetemeyer said most of the damage in Bloomington-Normal has been from flooding and wind, while some properties sustained both types of damage.
“We know that there are a lot of [damaged homes and businesses] in the community and this community has been hit several times this year,” Kuetemeyer said, referring to the tornadoes that hit McLean County in April.
County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] director Cathy Beck said the damage was much more widespread than the tornadoes that hit the area in the spring.
“Flooding has no mercy on anybody. You can’t stop the flooding. Between the [fallen] trees and the flooding, no power for 3-4 days for some of the homes in areas, it’s just horrifying, incredible, amazing,” Beck said.
Beck said the county has tracked nearly 400 residential damage claims and 22 business claims, most of them in Bloomington-Normal, while there were others in Stanford, Downs and Heyworth.
Beck said that appears to be a major undercount. She is urging anyone with damage to report it to the county, even if their insurance has already covered the losses. She said each claim helps the county build a stronger case to get federal assistance.
“The first notices requesting damage came out when people still didn’t have power,” said McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston, who joined emergency officials on the tour. “They were dealing with their own disasters, they weren’t understanding how important it is.”
Beck said while federal grant money may not be likely, she is hopeful the county will qualify for SBA low-interest loans.
Angel Rodriguez with the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience said it appears there's enough damage to qualify for some help but it’s too soon to determine as reports are still being compiled and verified.
“I’ve been working since mid-March with back-to-back disaster declarations, and definitely the damage that so far I’ve seen, this may qualify for the SBA disaster assistance program,” he said, adding that the loans would cover the cost of repairs and could also cover economic impacts for businesses and nonprofits.
He said loans may be available at interest rates below 3% and could allow for a 30-year repayment.
Damage claims in McLean County can be reported on the county government website. Claims must be submitted within 30 days of the damage to be eligible.
Beck said State Farm has reported about 1,000 storm damage claims in the county. Country Financial reports it has fielded 476 property and auto claims in Bloomington-Normal from Aug. 11-15.
FEMA, IEMA and SBA are also conducting damage storm assessments in Champaign, Cook, Fulton, Ford, Tazewell, Vermillion and Will counties.
