After August storms ripped through McLean County and caused over $42 million in damage, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood said Wednesday he is optimistic the Trump administration’s denial of Illinois’ requested disaster aid will be successfully appealed.
The request was sent in September to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and denied early this month. County officials later stated they planned to appeal.
LaHood was in Bloomington on Wednesday as part of a visit to the new Petrick Idea Center at Illinois Wesleyan University. Joined by Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the Small Business Administration [SBA], LaHood said he worked with the Twin Cities’ mayors in asking for a federal disaster declaration.
“We did a delegation letter for a federal disaster declaration. That was everybody — Republicans and Democrats — that asked for that,” said LaHood, a Peoria Republican, speaking to media attending the tour.
More recently, LaHood wrote to the Trump administration a week ago, asking it to reconsider the state’s request in a timely manner. He said they’re working with the FEMA director on the appeals process, while adding that his letter lays out in detail why they believe the appeal should be granted.
In McLean County alone, county officials have stated storm inflicted $42.5 million in damages, or about half of the state’s total impact. They previously told WGLT that updated documentation, estimates, receipts and invoices will help shore up their request for aid.
Administrator Loeffler, a McLean County native, said the SBA issues hundreds of millions, if not billions, of low-interest disaster recovery loans in any given year.
“We’re the largest lender in the federal government,” she said.
After the tour, an SBA spokesperson said $7.64 million has been dispersed to victims of the August storm that hit Central Illinois, representing 287 disaster loans.
The deadline to apply for the SBA Physical Disaster Loan was Oct. 19. The SBA said impacted residents have until May, 18, 2027, to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster loan.
Loeffler said the SBA provided a declaration locally through the SBA within a few weeks of the storm, adding it’s “something that we were focused on right away.”
The SBA has also strengthened its ability to respond to disaster scenes, Loeffler added.
“We also have now mobile disaster units that come to you, where we meet the disaster survivors where they are to make sure that they have access to those SBA loans,” she said.
LaHood's letter to Trump, FEMA
In his Oct. 23 letter to Trump and FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, LaHood said multiple rounds of severe storms rolled through the area from Aug. 11-16.
“Disaster recovery requires cooperation among local, state and federal partners. I respectfully encourage FEMA to give renewed consideration to the concentration of damage in particularly hard-hit communities, and any additional assessments that may help establish the full extent of the damage,” LaHood stated in his letter, which was released to the public Tuesday.
LaHood told WGLT on Wednesday that the categories used to calculate how Illinois met the threshold for assistance have been expanded on.
“We believe we've supplemented that and added to that, and so we remain optimistic that the repeal will be successful,” LaHood said.
The August storms caused significant damage across Central Illinois and Northern Illinois, LaHood wrote, adding that McLean County met FEMA’s local damage threshold. The congressman noted the Normal Fire Department personnel responded to a record number of calls across a 24-hour shift, and Bloomington crews cleaned up more than 500 tons of bulk waste and hauled off over 2,300 loads of brush debris.
He said federal assistance would help affected residents and local governments in his district complete their recovery process and better prepare for future severe weather. LaHood’s letter also stated documented damages and demands placed on state and local resources demonstrate a compelling case for additional federal support.
