President Trump denies FEMA help for Illinois after August storms, even after GOP Rep. LaHood asks in letter
Nearly two months after severe storms devastated parts of northern and central Illinois, President Trump denied Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's request for FEMA disaster assistance, despite a letter from Republican Rep. Darin LaHood asking for 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.
But the appeal apparently fell on deaf ears. Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker's office said the Federal Emergency Management Agency officially denied the state's request, stating assistance for the affected counties was "not warranted."
"Our communities are still picking up the pieces from the destruction caused by severe weather this summer. Donald Trump should never play politics with their homes, businesses, and infrastructure," the governor said in a statement.
Pritzker said the state will appeal the decision because of the extent of the damage, which includes not just personal property damage but also infrastructure damage, flooding, power outages and more.
President Trump approved FEMA disaster assistance for Indiana, for damage from the same storms as Illinois after they traveled east across state lines, on Aug. 15, before the stretch of severe weather had even ended.
"When a massive storm system crosses state lines, the resulting damage should be evaluated fairly, consistently and based on the same objective standards and criteria, regardless of which state it impacts. Illinois will continue to explore every available option to help our communities recover and the survivors rebuild their lives after devastating storms," Pritzker said in the statement.
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.
Pritzker officially requested disaster assistance from FEMA in September, covering eight counties impacted by the storms: Champaign, Cook (including Chicago), Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermillion and Will.
The FEMA assistance 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 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 repeatedl rejected requests from Illinois for disaster assistance after severe weather. In February, the president denied a request for aid a second time for severe storms that hit in Aug. 2025.
Last year, Trump denied disaster aid requests for Chicago and Cook County residents filed by Pritzker just a couple weeks after posting on social media that Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson "should be in jail."
