Federal and state crews to assess storm damage in Boone County

BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Damage assessment teams will be visiting Boone County next month to evaluate the impact of recent storms.

The assessments are scheduled for September 3rd and September 7th, with both state and federal crews surveying damage caused by flooding and high winds. This evaluation aims to determine if a disaster declaration can be made, which would allow more resources to assist affected residents.

Theodore Berger, Acting Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Homeland Security, emphasized the importance of documenting the full scope of storm damage to pursue potential avenues of assistance.

The damage assessment teams will include representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), along with local emergency management personnel.

These teams will be assessing damage to homes and possessions, including essential household systems such as HVAC units and water heaters, to help determine the level of federal assistance needed.

Officials have warned residents to be cautious of scammers posing as fake assessors during this period.

The assessments in Boone County are part of a broader effort to evaluate storm damage in several counties, including Cook, Will, and McHenry, as officials work to secure necessary resources for recovery.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.