CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday issued disaster proclamations stemming from flood damage along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The local and state proclamations issued Thursday were aimed at boosting funding for recovery and rebuilding efforts along more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) of shoreline in Cook and Lake counties affected by the Jan. 10-11 storm. The severe weather, which included high winds and heavy rain, snow and ice, caused significant property damage, including to beaches and recreational areas.
Pritzker said he also is requesting additional time from the Federal Emergency Management Agency so the city and state can document the information needed to support a federal disaster declaration.
Lightfoot said the city has been working on the recovery but added “it is clear that this is a challenge we can’t solve alone.”
Officials said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects Lake Michigan water levels to remain high over the next several months, and future storms could further affect shoreline erosion.
Watch Great Lakes Now’s segment on shoreline erosion:
API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key.Featured image: Governor J.B. Pritzker addresses members of the audience after being sworn into office, Photo by Vishesh Anand, Illinois Public Media via flickr.com cc 2.0
