Gov. Pritzker Requests FEMA Disaster Assistance For Recent Severe Weather Across Illinois
The governor also issued an extended disaster proclamation as Illinois seeks federal help for residents, local governments and nonprofits recovering from severe August 2026 weather.
CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker today requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the State of Illinois following the derecho and record-breaking severe weather pattern that impacted eight counties across the state from August 11-16, 2026.
Today, the Governor also issued a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation for eight counties, extending the August 18, 2026 proclamation for an additional thirty days to ensure state resources and personnel remain available to support continued local response efforts and recovery operations from these storms. Illinois’ ongoing recovery efforts paired with the requested federal assistance will ensure residents and communities can repair and rebuild.
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“I will always fight to secure all available federal resources needed most by our communities, especially when the evidence gathered through the damage assessment is clear to pursue it,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Given the scale and severity of destruction in communities across our state, I fully expect our request for FEMA aid to be granted. Illinoisans are incredibly resilient, but our state should not have to face this recovery alone.”
Since the storms, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) and other Illinois agencies have been on the ground supporting local and county officials with damage assessments, debris cleanup, power restoration and mutual aid assistance. Through the extended state disaster proclamation, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will continue to assist local governments with response and recovery efforts as appropriate, and all other State agencies will continue to collaborate with IEMA-OHS to identify and enable additional response and recovery capabilities if needed.
If approved by the federal government, FEMA’s Individual Assistance would be available to residents of impacted counties. Assistance would include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and businesses owners recover from the effects of this severe weather. Local governments and qualifying nonprofits would also be able to utilize FEMA’s Public Assistance program to repair and rebuild damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as receive reimbursement for emergency response and debris removal costs.
Both the state proclamation and federal request issued today follow the completion of Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted across the area in the past weeks by local, state and federal authorities to determine damage was significant enough to warrant federal assistance. This analysis relies on a combination of tools and published program guidance, providing state leadership with a data-driven, evidence-based approach to assess what appropriate request is applicable given the level of damage and community need for a specific incident.
The Governor’s request for FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA) covers the following affected counties:
- Champaign (August 13)
- Cook, including the City of Chicago (August 11)
- Ford (August 14-15)
- Fulton (August 13-15)
- McLean (August 13)
- Tazewell (August 13-15)
- Vermilion (August 13-15)
- Will (August 11)
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