Pritzker issues disaster proclamation for storm-ravaged counties,
including Cook
[July 01, 2026]
By Brenden Moore
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday issued a state disaster
proclamation for eleven counties ravaged by severe weather this spring
and early summer.
The proclamation covers Kankakee, McLean, Stephenson and Winnebago
counties for severe weather events that took place in March and April;
and Coles, Cook, Effingham, Jefferson, LaSalle, Warren and Woodford
counties for storm events over the past month.
It comes amid a record stretch of severe weather in the Land of Lincoln.
Midway through the year, the National Weather Service has already
confirmed 173 tornadoes in Illinois, the most recorded in a single year.
Several communities have also sustained damage from flooding, hail and
straight-line winds.
“Illinois has faced unprecedented severe weather this year, and I remain
committed to supporting every community, business, and family as they
rebuild,” Pritzker said in a statement. “As communities recover, we
remember the lives that were lost and hold their families and loved ones
in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
Pritzker is scheduled to visit Effingham and Jefferson counties on
Wednesday. An EF-3 tornado ripped through the area on June 17, injuring
two people and damaging dozens of structures. He surveyed damage in
Coles County earlier this month after an EF-2 tornado hit. The governor
also visited Kankakee County in March days after an EF-3 tornado tore
through and killed three people.
The proclamation frees up additional state resources and personnel for
response and recovery operations and can facilitate requests for state
and federal disaster relief.
Federal resources
Communities in impacted counties, for example, can now apply for up to
$250,000 through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster
Response program to assist with cleanup, debris removal and public
infrastructure repairs.
Pritzker said last week that he expects the state to seek additional
federal assistance for the June tornadoes, either through the Federal
Emergency Management Agency or Small Business Administration, though
state officials are still working with local officials to assess damage
and determine whether it meets eligibility for federal assistance
programs.
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A person searches through his belongings amid debris in the
aftermath of a powerful storm that ripped through the area a day
earlier, in Aroma Park, Ill., Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP
Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
State and federal agencies completed their damage assessments in
Kankakee on March 30, but the state did not ultimately seek FEMA
assistance, though the SBA did approve low-interest emergency loans for
small businesses with uninsured damage.
Pritzker told reporters in Chicago last week that applying for a federal
disaster declaration “doesn’t help if there’s no way that that damage
estimate will get anywhere near the number” necessary to qualify.
The governor was critical of the Trump administration for cutting back
funding for disaster relief and seemingly denying it for “political
reasons.” A Politico analysis found Democrat-led states saw just 23% of
their disaster requests granted in the first year of Trump’s second
term, compared to 89% for their Republican counterparts.
“They’ve raised the thresholds for getting support; they’ve made it
harder for communities to get support,” Pritzker said. “It’s quite
disappointing, and I continue to be an advocate for maintaining the FEMA
funds that were available prior, because unfortunately, climate change…
has now brought more disasters on a more frequent basis.”
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