Governor Bruce Rauner warns of minimal state funds for flood damage
Posted: Jan 01, 2016 10:17 PM CST Updated: Jan 01, 2016 10:49 PM CSTBy Anna Giles
CHESTER -- Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has arrived in southern Illinois to assess flood damage for himself.
"I'm mostly worried about Alexander County right now," Rauner said.
Rauner made a stop in Randolph County Friday evening to check in on Mississippi River crest levels in Chester.
"Sorry to hear in Randolph County we are dealing with such a major challenge. The good news is the river has just about crested and should be dropping tonight and in the morning," Rauner said.
Don Welge, president of a large business in Chester, showed up alongside dozens of others at a meeting in the Randolph County Courthouse Friday, hoping to get some comfort from the Governor.
"I think the Governor is sincerely interested and he wants to help the situation," Welge said.
Rauner says Illinois can do little but offer encouragement to businesses and residents most affected by the floods. The state has minimal funds to help with damage, due to state deficits and the budget impasse, Rauner said.
"Illinois has never really had significant pockets of money to support natural disasters. We've just never had that," Rauner said.
Rauner urged people living in threatened areas to evacuate, especially as concerns over cold temperatures increase.
Officials with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency say the cost of flood damage so far, remains unclear.
"We don't know the level of impact we have yet from a financial standpoint . We don't know what loss individuals have to their homes, said James Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
Meantime Rauner has been working to free up state resources for local communities.
"At this point we've authorized the national guard to be ready to move, especially in Alexander County, where the levee has been topped by the river," Rauner said
the state has assembled hundreds of thousands of sandbags for towns in harm's way, first responders say.
As the Mississippi in Randolph County recedes in the coming days, it can't come too soon for Welge, whose employees have seen their commute times, more than triple.
"If they are working eight hours they leave two hours earlier and they get home two hours later," Welge said.
The Mississippi needs to drop at least four more feet there before the Chester bridge gets back to business as usual, after being closed for the last few days.
Above is from: http://www.wsiltv.com/story/30868537/governor-bruce-rauner-warns-of-minimal-state-funds-for-flood-damage
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