WASHINGTON ­– FEMA announced today that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Illinois to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred Sept. 17-18, 2023.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Cook County.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Waddy Gonzalez has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA APP. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.