U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), along with members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, sent this letter supporting Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s appeal of the denial of public assistance for 17 Illinois counties and urged Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take into consideration the localized impact of a disaster. The state's decision to appeal is based on additional damages assessed in counties requesting public assistance. View the letter in full here.
Davis and members of the delegation wrote in part:
“All the counties included in the state’s request for Public Assistance have exceeded the county threshold of $3.57 per capita. Alexander County alone suffered an estimated damage of $485 per capita, exceeding the county threshold by a factor of more than 100. The severity of the localized impact to these communities is undeniable, and we urge you to please carefully consider these factors when determining the state’s appeal for Alexander, Bureau, Calhoun, Clark, Cass, Cumberland, Jackson, Jersey, Madison, Menard, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, Pike, Randolph, St. Clair, and Vermilion counties.”
In a letter to FEMA dated March 9, Davis urged Administrator Fugate to follow legislation, which passed unanimously in the House, that included his language to require FEMA to give greater weight and consideration to severe localized impact of a disaster. Although Illinois’ assessed damages are just shy of FEMA’s $18.1 million population-based threshold, FEMA continues to have discretion under the law to give greater weight to other factors when determining the need for federal assistance.
Davis fought to include this language in H.R. 1471, the FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act requiring FEMA give greater consideration to severe localized impact when determining the need for public disaster assistance.
