U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., criticized the Bush administration June 25 for its “insufficient” and “inexplicable” response to flooding in Illinois.
The previous day, the administration declared 13 counties in the state major disaster areas, freeing up food, water and other emergency provisions. The declaration also allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate recovery.
But Hare and other state officials feel the declaration is useless without immediate declarations for individual and public infrastructure assistance, according to the Quad-City Times.
“People are homeless. Towns are under water. Entire communities are waiting for the federal help they expect and deserve in the richest country in the world,” Hare said.
Patti Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, agreed. The declaration “really doesn’t mean anything,” she said, citing that it will not assist people who need loans or temporary housing.
The delay appears to be preliminary damage assessments, which must be completed before individual and public declarations are issued. “Some of the areas are still inundated with floodwaters,” said Sandy Jasmund, a FEMA spokeswoman. Members of Illinois’ congressional delegation met with FEMA Administrator David Paulison on June 25. Tom O’Donnell, Hare’s chief of staff, said he “seemed willing to move quickly.”
Politicians have been pushing for recognition of the disaster before it even happened. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wrote to President Bush June 13 and asked him to pre-emptively declare a number of Mississippi River counties federal disaster areas. He requested expedited assistance for individuals and public agencies on June 20.
Also on June 13, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) were joined by members of the Illinois Delegation in asking FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide immediate assistance to help the State of Illinois prepare for the anticipated flooding of the Mississippi River and other waterways. On June 16, after traveling to several Illinois communities to assess storm damage and help with flood preparations, Durbin spoke to the floor of the Senate of the need for federal help as the resources in the state could not absorb the severity of the flood.
“Often, weather-related disasters give us no warning. They strike in an instant,” Durbin said. “This is different. We can see this crisis coming.”
In a joint statement June 25, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama said the administration’s declaration was a “necessary first step,” but that they would continue to try to expedite a full disaster declaration.
