ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. – It’s been one month since President Biden signed the disaster declaration for St. Clair County, Illinois. While the effects of the devastating flood that took place in July will be felt in the communities for some time, federal, state and local agencies are working hard to get much needed assistance into the hands of survivors. To date, more than $11.9 million has been approved in federal grants, loans and flood insurance payments.
“The opportunities provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Individual Assistance Program from FEMA are critical to the continued recovery of those impacted by this natural disaster,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
As of Nov. 14, 2022:
- FEMA has approved $10.1 million for individuals and households, including $1.3 for other disaster-related needs.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $722,000 in disaster loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses.
- The National Flood Insurance Program has received 71 claims and paid $1.1 million.
“We continue to work to explore and share all available options for those affected in St. Clair County,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “We remain committed to providing aid and support with resources every step of the way.”
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams have been canvasing St. Clair County to meet with community leaders and survivors. These DSA teams have knocked on more than 2,000 doors and interacted with 1,260 survivors.
Federal and state personnel are staffing two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in St. Clair County where survivors can go to apply for assistance, ask questions about their application or get information about types of assistance programs available to them. More than 1,800 visitors to the DRCs have been helped so far.
“The July flood was unprecedented, and its impacts will be felt in the community for a long time,” said Waddy Gonzalez, Federal Coordinating Officer with FEMA. “With the help of our state and local partners, though, we’re working to make sure survivors can access resources to help them with their recovery.”
Homeowners and renters in St. Clair County who were affected by the July flooding can visit a DRC at either of the two locations:
Clyde Jordan Senior Citizen Center: 6755 State St., East St. Louis, Illinois 62203
Caseyville Village Hall: 909 South Main St., Caseyville, Illinois 62232
Recovery Centers are closed on Sundays. Hours for the next two weeks are:
Week of November 14
8 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday
Week of November 21 – Holiday Hours
8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday
CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY – Thursday, Thanksgiving Day
CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY – Friday, day after Thanksgiving
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday
FEMA staff have also been working hard to follow-up with applicants to make sure they receive all possible assistance available to them. More than $139,000 in additional assistance has been approved for disaster survivors after FEMA has been able to get in touch with applicants. Often, something as simple as a missing document can change an applicant’s eligibility status and open up additional assistance funds. If you miss a call from FEMA, make sure to return the call. We are here to help you.
Homeowners and renters can also apply for assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362, going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, or downloading the FEMA App.
The deadline to apply for federal assistance with FEMA is December 16.
For disaster updates from FEMA, follow @FEMAregion5 on Twitter, and turn on mobile notifications. Visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4676.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
For disaster updates from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), follow @ReadyIllinois on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and turn on mobile notifications. http://www.illinois.gov/iema/ continues to be a go-to, single source to help Illinois residents easily find information and disaster-related resources.
###
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.