Flooding in Illinois

Floor Speech

FLOODING IN ILLINOIS

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the heroic efforts of all those in my district who have responded to the destruction that Hurricane Ike left in its path. After ravaging Texas and Louisiana, Hurricane Ike's rains made their way through the Midwest, devastating the area with record-level rainfall and causing massive flooding in northeastern Illinois, including parts of my district. Throughout the Chicagoland area, the amounts of rain broke records--almost 7 inches of rain fell in my district on just 1 day, the most in history. More than 90 billion gallons of rain were dumped on the area.

Governor Blagojevich declared seven counties in Illinois disaster areas. This will set in motion a process that will allow the Federal Government to make a major disaster declaration so that Illinois can be eligible for Federal assistance to help individuals, families, and businesses and help local governments; and hazard mitigation assistance so affected areas can implement projects to reduce future flood damage. In the meantime, I have encouraged my constituents to avoid flooded areas, to report instances of price gouging, and to be prepared with a solid inventory of the items they have lost when they contact their insurance companies to report damage.

Every single community in my district was affected, particularly the towns of Des Plaines and Park Ridge. I would like to thank and commend the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, local first-responders, the American Red Cross, and local elected officials like my friend Des Plaines Mayor Arredia--who has been a leader in the effort to prevent flooding in the region--for quickly mobilizing the response and providing relief for the flood victims. I also want to recognize the neighbors who helped their neighbors, and all of the people who came together in the face of hardship. Their response to Hurricane Ike was a great example of the heart of the people of my district.

Yesterday, I joined Governor Blagojevich and other State, county, and local elected officials at the Prairie Lake Community Center in Des Plaines, which is serving as a relief and relocation shelter, to visit with people displaced from their homes with nowhere to go and thank the Red Cross volunteers who are doing such great work. I promised those people taking shelter that I won't stop working with the Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Des Plaines River Project. Those parts of the project that have already been completed made a difference and saved homes from being flooded. I will also keep working to ensure that local municipal projects that address flood prevention get the funds they need.

Congress needs to appropriate funds to respond to the devastation that Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav left in their wake. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in making sure that we allocate sufficient resources to help FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and States and communities across the country rebuild in a coming spending package.

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