Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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Governor requests additional federal dollars for flood relief

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[June 18, 2008]  CHICAGO -- Looking ahead to the enormous needs communities across Illinois will face as they recover from devastating flood and storm damage, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on Tuesday asked U.S. congressional leaders to include additional funding in the federal 2008 supplemental appropriations bill for flood response and recovery costs.

"Thank you for the leadership and compassion that Congress has already shown with respect to the devastating floods in the Midwest. In Illinois, to date, we have declared 19 counties disaster areas, and we are vigilantly monitoring conditions in many other areas. While efforts to assess the damage are under way, with floodwaters continuing to inundate many Illinois communities, it will be weeks, if not months, before we truly know the full extent of the damage. Even without completing this assessment, we know the resource needs for recovery will be extensive," Blagojevich wrote in a letter to the leaders.

Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Velasquez III said the preliminary damage assessment process would begin Tuesday in the southeastern part of the state with the deployment of a team consisting of staff from IEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Small Business Administration. To date the governor has declared 19 counties disaster areas: Adams, Calhoun, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Hancock, Henderson, Jasper, Jersey, Lake, Lawrence, Mercer, Pike, Rock Island, Winnebago, Knox and Madison.

"From lost agricultural output to water plant repairs to levee rebuilding, our state and our residents will need additional federal resources. I know these needs are shared by our neighbors in Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin, among other states. As you finish the fiscal year 2008 supplemental appropriations bill, I ask that you give strong consideration to the inclusion of significant additional funding to aid in the response and recovery to the floods that are inflicting extensive economic and physical damage on several Midwestern states," Blagojevich wrote.

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In addition, Blagojevich also joined his peers with the Midwestern Governors Association to ask congressional leaders for assistance, sending a letter to express support for the states experiencing disasters and underscore their need for prompt federal assistance. 

"The total losses resulting from this disaster are expected to far exceed the levels of the devastating Midwest floods in 1993. These disasters will not only have an enormous economic and commercial impact in the Midwest, but the effects will also be felt in the national and global economies. It is crucial that these affected states receive federal funding for disaster mitigation and recovery quickly," the Midwestern Governors Association wrote.

For the latest information on flooding, shelters, what to do during a flood and what to do after a flood, go to www.ready.illinois.gov.

(Copy of the governor's letter) [To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF file, click here.]

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

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