County declared a disaster

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PRINCETON — Bureau County has been declared a state disaster area for the second time in two months.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich added Bureau, Kendall and Woodford counties to the list of seven counties declared state disaster areas on Sept. 15  due to extensive flooding. Those original seven counties were LaSalle, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane and Will.

Just two months ago, on July 22, Blagojevich declared Bureau, Henry and Rock Island counties as state disaster areas due to the July 21 wind storms that ripped through the area, downing hundreds of trees and power lines.

On Wednesday, Kris Donarski, director of the Bureau County Emergency Services and Management Agency, said the state disaster area designation makes available state resources, especially trucks, equipment and work crews, to help communities clean up debris and manage other issues related to the storms. The state designation does not include any funding for clean-up costs.

The disaster area designation for Bureau County was based on the initial damage assessment from the recent floods, Donarski said. The majority of the local damage was to infrastructure, including area roads and bridges, although there was some damage to homes throughout the county, she said.

State IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III said IEMA personnel have worked with local officials in Bureau, Kendall and Woodford counties since the flooding began to make sure they have the resources needed to deal with the flood and its aftermath.

“With flood waters still up in some areas, it’s difficult to fully evaluate the extent of damage,” Velasquez said. “We will continue to work with emergency managers in these counties to determine the impact to people, businesses and local governments and how we can help expedite the recovery process.”

On Wednesday, State Representative Don Moffitt said Bureau County flood victims are eligible for financial assistance through a program offered by the Illinois State Treasurer’s office. Since Bureau County was declared a state disaster area Tuesday, the Opportunity Illinois: Disaster Recovery Program makes citizens who suffered damage from the floodwaters on the weekend of Sept. 13 eligible for low-interest loans through participating lenders.

“It’s nearly, if not totally impossible for families to be financially prepared for disasters such as floods,” Moffitt said. “So this state program is in place to assist affected citizens with making repairs and getting back to a living a regular life.”

Under the program, citizens and business owners may apply for a low-interest loan, with rates no higher than 4.5 percent, at participating lenders to finance damage repairs. Applications for the program must be filed within 90 days of the state or federal disaster declaration.