Feds send $120M to help in metro-east recovery from July flooding
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday that St. Clair County will get $89.5 million in grant money to help in disaster recovery from the flooding caused by 8 inches of rain that fell on July 16.
The agency said in a news release the money could be used to rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, help small businesses, repair roads and support projects to reduce the risks of damage from future storms.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern could not be reached for comment Tuesday about how the federal grant money will be spent.
This Housing and Urban Development aid is separate from $30.5 million in assistance already provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for 7,340 households in St. Clair and Washington counties. The deadline to apply for aid from FEMA was last month.
Relief funding from those two federal agencies totals $120 million in the metro-east. The U.S. Small Business Administration helps businesses after disasters but the amount of aid provided by this agency for the July storm in the metro-east was not available Tuesday.
Preliminary damage assessments by local, state and federal officials show there was $9.8 million in estimated damages to households in St. Clair and Washington counties, according to a statement from FEMA.
FEMA said the aid it administered can be used for temporary housing, home repair or replacement, moving and storage costs, vehicle replacement or repair, furniture and appliance replacement as well as medical, dental and childcare costs.
The federal assistance occurred after President Joe Biden in September issued a federal disaster declaration for St. Clair and Washington counties.
Ashlee Strong, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Tuesday the $89.5 million was allocated to St. Clair County, but the two counties “could possibly utilize the funding for joint (infrastructure) projects.”
“This funding will be critical in rebuilding existing infrastructure and bolstering defenses against future storms and flooding,” U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, whose 12th Congressional District includes parts of St. Clair County and all of Washington, said in a news release. “At a time when folks are working to restore their damaged homes and communities, I’m glad they will have the resources necessary to speed the process along.”
A member of the Washington County Board’s Finance Committee, Larry Unverfehrt, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The Housing and Urban Development aid is classified as “community development block grant disaster recovery.”
Nationwide, the agency said Tuesday that $12 billion was allocated to 24 states and territories for storms in 2023 and 2024. The aid includes $426.6 million for Chicago and $244 million for Cook County in Illinois.
Flood damage was reported throughout St. Clair County, including Belleville, East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, O’Fallon, Shiloh, Swansea, Dupo, the Scott Air Force Base area and Millstadt.
Much of the damage in Belleville occurred when Richland Creek overflowed on July 16.
