Trump administration again rejects FEMA aid for Illinois storm victims from summer of 2025
Illinois residents who were hit hard by storms last August have once again been denied extra help from the federal government by the Trump administration.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied the state's appeal for a major disaster declaration for Boone, Cook, Kane, McHenry and Will counties. FEMA is housed under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The storms last summer – which impacted the area for nearly 17 hours and brought soaking rains and wind speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour – resulted in flooding, wind and hail damage, blocked roads and extensive power outages. The severity of the weather was aggravated by heat in Chicago, where highs were reaching over 90 degrees.
Illinois requested aid in their wake, which FEMA first rejected in October. The state filed a second appeal in November which was rejected by FEMA again.
Gov. JB Pritzker called the rejection "politically motivated" and condemned the administration's decision.
"Let's call this what this is: a politically motivated decision that punishes thousands of Illinois families in a critical moment of need. Playing politics with disaster relief funding is a new low, even for the Trump Administration," Pritzker said.
Pritzker's accusation seems to be supported by wider reporting on severe weather events, in which the administration's approvals and denials appear to fall along political lines. In 2025, Vermont, Maryland and Colorado also were denied major disaster declarations. Three of the four states have Democratic governors. Vermont reliably votes for Democrats and its congressional delegation is made up of Democrats.
On Feb. 6, Tennessee and Mississippi were granted major disaster declarations for winter storms.
States have also had problems securing FEMA declarations since Trump took office as he has worked to reduce the size and scope of the agency. The Trump administration has stated publicly it wants the federal government to take less responsibility for disaster management and recovery. To that end, the administration has downsized FEMA, reducing how much it pays for disasters and increasing the threshold for the estimated cost of a disaster before the president issues a major disaster declaration.
Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.
