FYI: Disaster No-Go For Elk Grove Village, Illinois

http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_f5623102-d4cc-11e0-b486-0019bb30f31a.html

Disaster No-Go For Elk Grove Village

Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2011 1:57 pm | Updated: 3:29 pm, Thu Sep 1, 2011.

By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter 

 

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson expressed disappointment upon learning the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) would not declare a disaster for heavy flooding that occurred on July 23.

No disaster declaration means no county, state or federal assistance to the village for flood damages and no financial assistance to residents whose damages exceed their insurance costs.

Johnson said he was counting on a 75% reimbursement for $185,000 in damages the village sustained in the storm including major damage to one ambulance, one fire engine, three police squad cars and building damage. Close to 7 inches of rain fell in about three hours in the early morning of Saturday, July 23.

Cook County Dept. of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Executive Director Michael Masters told the Journal IEMA's review found damages from the July 23 storm "insufficient for the process to move forward for federal assistance."

Elk Grove Village submitted a report to county department late last month saying 96 properties, 84 single-family homes, 10 multi-family residential buildings and two commercial or industrial properties saw basement flooding; and 33 properties suffered water damage up to the first floor, including 11 single-family homes, two multi-family properties, eight industrial, five commercial and six office units. Twelve properties also experienced other storm damage to vehicles, storage units and trees.

Because the City of Chicago's damages from the July 23 storm were minimal, the county and state did not reach the financial threshold of damage to qualify as a disaster area, according to well-informed sources.