Pritzker tours storm damage, signs flood relief bill expanding local
Chicago programs
[August 15, 2026]
By Ben Szalinski
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill on Friday that allows more Chicago
homeowners to access financial relief for flood damage locally while
many communities in the state cleaned up from damaging storms.
Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3925, which allows home equity assurance
programs to establish a temporary three-year rebate program that certain
Chicago homeowners can tap into to repair flood damage. The state law
says municipalities must have at least 1 million residents to create
such a district, meaning only Chicago qualifies.
There are two such programs within the city — one known as the Northwest
Home Equity Program, the other the Southwest Home Equity Program — that
are created by state law but governed by local commissions and funded by
special property taxes levied within the districts.
Eligible homeowners who live within the districts can apply to be
reimbursed for half of their flood remediation costs up to $1,000.
The legislation was passed in response to significant flooding on the
Southwest Side of Chicago last summer. The federal government denied
Illinois’ request for disaster assistance following the event, leaving
many homeowners short on financial resources.
“The Trump administration turned their back,” Pritzker said at a news
conference in Chicago before signing the bill. “Relief for Illinois
families whose homes were damaged by severe storms, crucial assistance
that could have helped them rebuild their homes and their lives, was
denied.”
Pritzker characterized the legislation as the latest example of the
state trying to fill gaps while federal programs, ranging from disaster
relief to food and healthcare assistance, are reduced. The governor said
he hopes financial help from home equity assurance programs will provide
residents short-term money to make repairs and long-term financial
“breathing room.”
“On your worst day, when the rain’s falling and everyone has that
anxiety and apprehension, that’s exactly the time government needs to
show up,” Sen. Mike Porfirio, D-La Grange, said. “That’s exactly the
time government needs to show people that they care, that they get it,
that they’re going to bring them real relief.”
Pritzker signed the bill as communities across the state deal with
another round of severe storms that have brought tornadoes, wind damage
and flooding. It’s the latest in a long list of damaging weather events
in Illinois this year and the state has now recorded more than 200
tornadoes in 2026. Only Texas, with a significantly larger landmass, has
recorded that many in one year.
On Aug. 11, a storm brought tornadoes and wind gusts approaching 100 mph
to southern Cook County and Will County, according to the National
Weather Service. Many of those same communities were slammed by
tornadoes and high winds on July 27 and were still recovering.
Pritzker toured storm damage in Lansing on Friday afternoon where tree
limbs were still scattered throughout the community, and some areas
remained without power.
More storms on Thursday brought significant wind damage to McLean
County, where the Normal Fire Department said it set a new record for
most calls during a 24-hour shift. And Friday as Pritzker signed the
bill, many communities in central Illinois reported flooding from
another round of storms.
Political disaster
With the November election less than three months away, the state’s
response to natural disasters has become part of Republican Darren
Bailey’s campaign for governor. Bailey and his running mate, Aaron Del
Mar, visited communities in the south suburbs on Thursday and said
Pritzker’s response to recent storms has been inadequate.
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Storm damage can be seen throughout Lansing, Illinois, on Aug. 14,
2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)
“Government has been nowhere to be found and that’s probably the
single-most important issue that I heard,” Bailey said.
The pair criticized Pritzker for attending the unveiling of the Illinois
State Fair’s butter cow in Springfield on Wednesday instead of touring
Cook County communities.
“When I show up, it’s helpful, it’s useful for me to see the damage, to
speak to people on the ground and businesses on the ground,” Pritzker
said Friday. “But we’re quite well aware already, even before I get eyes
on, of what the circumstances are. And so, when I show up, what I don’t
want to do is interfere.”
Bailey also called on Pritzker to form a more collaborative relationship
with President Donald Trump.
“I’m calling on Gov. Pritzker and President Trump to put aside their
differences and start working together to get relief for these
families,” Bailey said. “Illinois should not be caught in the political
crossfire simply because these two leaders cannot get along.”
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. Under the past six
administrations — including Trump’s first term — states led by either
party saw similar rates of approval, between 70% and 90%. The analysis
also found that the administration takes twice as long to issue
decisions on requests from blue states.
Though Bailey called for Pritzker and Trump to work together, federal
disaster relief for this week’s storms would still be far down the line.
The state typically conducts damage assessments in partnership with
local officials before issuing a disaster declaration — a process that
usually takes several days or more. Whether the state declares a
disaster often depends on whether the local government needs more
resources, meaning rural communities with fewer resources might be more
likely to need the state’s help than larger places like Cook County,
Pritzker said.
Cook County had not issued a disaster declaration for this week’s storms
as of midday Friday.
A state disaster declaration is “the kickoff of our attempt to get
federal money,” Pritzker said. “That’s the signal. We take that
document, that disaster declaration, and essentially present it to the
federal government, saying, ‘We’ve declared a disaster, it’s time for
you to deliver.’ And so it doesn’t need to happen on Day 1.”
Pritzker issued an expansive disaster declaration at the end of June for
11 counties, which covered storms between March and June. That disaster
declaration was preceded by several local declarations requesting help
from the state.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which often has thresholds
states must meet to qualify for disaster aid, isn’t the state’s only
option for federal assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration
approved a disaster declaration for Kankakee County following a March
tornado. That allows residents and businesses to apply for loans to
repair or replace damaged property.
Maggie Dougherty contributed from Lansing.
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