Governor Bruce Rauner stated today (Thursday) that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will assist with damage assessments in nearly two dozen counties devastated by the record and near-record flooding and severe storms following Christmas and early January.

Rauner said they want to do everything possible to help people and communities that were affected. He also mentioned the damage assessments will provide greater detail as to the impact of the rain and storms, and it could be used to support a request for federal assistance if the results indicate they meet the federal requirements.

Personnel from FEMA, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local emergency management agencies are expected to begin assessing damage to homes and businesses in several counties, including Christian and Sangamon. Those assessments are expected to begin on February 4.

FEMA will also work with state and local officials on assessments of storm-related costs incurred by local governments in several counties, including Cumberland and Moultrie. Those assessments are expected to begin on February 1.

The State provided assistance to many affected communities as they supplied more than one million sandbags, some 10,000 tons of rock, some 4,000 tons of sand, 732 rolls of plastic, 8,600 hours by inmates filling and placing sandbags, 133,000 sandbags filled by inmates and more. The State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield was activated on December 28 to coordinate deployments of personnel and resources to help communities’ battle floodwaters.