Illinois municipalities struck by the Feb. 29 tornado will not be receiving help from the Federal Emergency Management Assistance Public Assistance program, but the state is devising a program to help out homeowners.
Governor Pat Quinn's Press Secretary Brooke Anderson says the governor did not pursue Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant for Public Assistance because the amount of damage from the Feb. 29 tornado did not approach the threshold for assistance.
"This is one grant specifically we are not eligible for," Anderson said Wednesday.
A message from Sherry Ramsey of Illinois Emergency Management Agency states meetings earlier in March by FEMA and IEMA with local governments determined the tornado expenses amounted to about $5.4 million. FEMA's threshold for receiving Public Assistance in Illinois is $17.3 million. Illinois is $11.8 million below the established threshold.
"IEMA Dir. Jonathon Monken and FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III met in Washington, D.C. this morning and agreed, based on the documented expenses, that it would not be in the best interest of the state and the communities to move forward with a Public Assistance request since there is no chance such request would be approved," the message from Ramsey states.
"Rather than raise false hopes by submitting a request, we have been working on a plan to provide state financial assistance to the affected communities. The details are not yet final, but we hope to announce our plan shortly. However, if we were to submit a request for federal assistance, we would be unable to move forward on that plan until the request was rejected by FEMA. We are working to bring real assistance to the communities that need it."
"We are actually in the process of getting ready to announce a state package of direct aid and relief for homeowners," Anderson said.
Illinois municipalities struck by the Feb. 29 tornado will not be receiving help from the Federal Emergency Management Assistance Public Assistance program, but the state is devising a program to help out homeowners.
Governor Pat Quinn's Press Secretary Brooke Anderson says the governor did not pursue Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant for Public Assistance because the amount of damage from the Feb. 29 tornado did not approach the threshold for assistance.
"This is one grant specifically we are not eligible for," Anderson said Wednesday.
A message from Sherry Ramsey of Illinois Emergency Management Agency states meetings earlier in March by FEMA and IEMA with local governments determined the tornado expenses amounted to about $5.4 million. FEMA's threshold for receiving Public Assistance in Illinois is $17.3 million. Illinois is $11.8 million below the established threshold.
"IEMA Dir. Jonathon Monken and FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III met in Washington, D.C. this morning and agreed, based on the documented expenses, that it would not be in the best interest of the state and the communities to move forward with a Public Assistance request since there is no chance such request would be approved," the message from Ramsey states.
"Rather than raise false hopes by submitting a request, we have been working on a plan to provide state financial assistance to the affected communities. The details are not yet final, but we hope to announce our plan shortly. However, if we were to submit a request for federal assistance, we would be unable to move forward on that plan until the request was rejected by FEMA. We are working to bring real assistance to the communities that need it."
"We are actually in the process of getting ready to announce a state package of direct aid and relief for homeowners," Anderson said.
