After federal disaster assistance was denied, Cook County allocates $15 million to help residents recover from devastating storms
Last week, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a one-time, $15 million assistance program to support residents impacted by the severe storms that struck Cook County in July and August 2025 after the Trump administration denied requests for federal disaster assistance. The 2025 Resident Storm Relief Project will provide direct financial assistance to eligible households still recovering from flooding and other storm-related damage.
Set to launch this fall, the 2025 Resident Storm Relief Project is a one-time program funded by the Disaster Response and Recovery Fund, administered through the County’s Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS). It allocates funds to be distributed to Cook County households affected by the flooding and damages resulting from last year’s storms during July and August. Half of the designated amount ($7.5 million) will be disbursed among residents in suburban Cook County municipalities, and the remaining half will go to City of Chicago residents. Residents may be eligible for up to $2,000 per household.
From July 25-28, 2025, Cook County experienced significant rainfall over several days leading to flooding and property damage in residential areas including the City of Chicago, Burbank, Justice and Summit. Less than a month later, additional storms brought sustained rainfall between August 16-19, 2025 with extensive damage recorded across the City of Chicago and several suburban municipalities. In response, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle issued disaster proclamations for both weather events which enabled the County to pursue available resources to assist communities and residents in recovery efforts.
In each instance, EMRS coordinated closely with the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to pursue Presidential Major Disaster Declarations that would allow for FEMA Individual Assistance. All requests and subsequent appeals were denied by the federal government.
“Many Cook County residents and businesses were devastated by last summer’s storms and their losses were magnified by being denied crucial federal assistance during an already difficult time,” said President Preckwinkle. “With the Disaster Response and Recovery Fund, my administration is doing everything it can to offer support to individuals and families working tirelessly to recover and rebuild.”
After federal assistance was denied, EMRS worked with IEMA-OHS and OEMC to petition for a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The declaration was granted for both storm periods, providing impacted residents an option to apply for low-interest loans to fund repairs not covered by insurance.
“Our priority is to make sure every community is prepared, informed and connected to key resources before, during and after any major incident,” said EMRS Executive Director Alex Joves. “Safety, stability and support go hand in hand. I am thankful to our local and federal partners for their ongoing collaboration, and the Cook County Board for its leadership.”
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