Republican Rep. Darin LaHood asks President Trump for Illinois storm damage recovery help

Nearly two months after severe storms devastated parts of northern and central Illinois, Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood is asking President Trump for more help.

LaHood sent a letter to Mr. Trump asking him to issue a "major disaster declaration," which would allow for more resources to help recover, rebuild and repair damaged infrastructure.

Starting on Aug. 11, several days of storms brought tornadoes, powerful winds and extensive flooding to the Chicago area. Many residents and local governments are still working to recover.

In September, Governor JB Pritzker officially requested disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency covering eight counties impacted by the storms: Champaign, Cook (including Chicago), Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermillion and Will.

The FEMA request would provide grants for temporary housing and damage repair, and allow residents to apply for low-cost loans to pay for losses not covered by insurance.

Pritzker also issued a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation, extending August's proclamation for an additional 30 days to provide continued support for local response efforts and recovery operations from the storms.

The Trump administration has denied aid to Illinois in the past, but Pritzker says he expected the FEMA to be approved given the scale of the destruction.

As of this report, FEMA has not responded to Pritzker's request.