U.S. Small Business Administration approves disaster declaration for March tornadoes in Illinois
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a disaster declaration for six counties in Illinois for tornadoes and other severe storms that hit the Kankakee County area last month, Gov. JB Pritzker's office announced Friday.
The disaster declaration will cover Kankakee, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, and Will counties. The declaration will allow businesses, homeowners, renters, and some nonprofits to apply for low-interest loans for storm damage not covered by their insurance.
The National Weather Service has confirmed 12 tornadoes touched down during severe storms in Illinois and northern Indiana on March 10. The most powerful tornado was an EF-3 in Kankakee County, with winds of up to 160 mph.
Three people were killed in the storms, including an elderly couple in Lake Village, Indiana. The third victim, a 65-year-old man, was found in a home in Aroma Park in Kankakee County while crews were cleaning up storm damage. Eleven other people were also injured in the storms.
"In the wake of this destructive storm, these resources will be critical to the Kankakee County area's recovery," Pritzker said in a statement. "No matter where you live, your community should be able to count on relief after a disaster. SBA rightfully recognized the severity of the storm's impact, and Illinois will continue coordinating essential recovery efforts in the area."
The Small Business Administration will open three outreach centers to allow anyone impacted by the storms to get help in applying for physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans – which are designed to help businesses and nonprofits cover financial costs caused by a disaster, even if they did not suffer physical damage.
All three outreach centers will be located in Kankakee County, with the first in Aroma Park already open, and two more opening Saturday in Bourbonnais and Kankakee:
Center | Address | Schedule/Hours |
Disaster Loan Outreach Center | KANKAKEE COUNTY | Opening, April 10 @ 10:00 am |
Village of Aroma Park (Village Hall) 2200 S. Lowe Road Aroma Park, IL 60910 | Mondays – Fridays 9:00 am -6:00 pm Saturdays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Closes Saturday, April 25 @ COB | |
Disaster Loan Outreach Center | KANKAKEE COUNTY | Opening April 11, 2026 @ 12:00 am CDT |
Village of Bradley Bradley Economic Development Co. Northfield Square Mall 1600 IL Route 50, Unit 548 Bourbonnais, IL 60914 | Mondays – Fridays 11:00 am – 7:00 pm CDT Saturdays 11:00 am – 3:00 pm CDT Closes Saturday, April 25 @ 2 pm | |
Disaster Loan Outreach Center | KANKAKEE COUNTY | Opening April 11, 2026 @ 9:00 am CDT |
City of Kankakee Kankakee Train Depot 199 S. East Ave. Kankakee, IL 60901 | Mondays – Fridays 9:00 am – 6:00 pm CDT Saturdays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm CDT Closes Saturday, April 25 @ 2 pm |
Homeowners and renters can apply for up to $500,000 in low-interest loans to cover storm damage to their homes. They can also apply for up to $100,000 in loans to repair or replace damaged property such as appliances and furniture. Businesses and some nonprofits can apply for up to $2 million in loans to cover physical damage from the storms.
To find an outreach center or to apply to loan assistance, disaster survivors can visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance.
