By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
ST. MAARTEN – The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is helping college students of an Illinois-based school impacted by the devastation from Hurricane Irma.
Despite the hurricane weakening as it hit landfall in Florida, the Sunshine State still got rocked. Even worse hit over the weekend was the island of St. Maarten. Before leaving for an economic mission trip to Asia, Gov. Bruce Rauner said Illinois will be helping relocate students attending a university in St. Maarten run by Illinois-based DeVry University.
“St. Maarten, in the Caribbean, was devastated by Irma,” Rauner said. “There are many stranded individuals. There’s been much destruction. There has been some injured individuals on St. Maarten, and we have received a request to assist the evacuation and relocation of 500 students and faculty.”
Rauner said IEMA is working with the State Department to coordinate the evacuation.
“And we may be providing temporary housing,” Rauner said, “for those students and faculty under the auspices of the Illinois Emergency Management Association here in Illinois, as they come back and seek permanent housing and to get reestablished at another campus once they leave St. Maarten.”
Rauner couldn’t say how long the assistance would be offered.
DeVry purchased American University of the Caribbean six years ago.
Rauner said he’s been in constant communication with leaders in South Carolina and Florida.
Florida had requested Illinois to prepare up to 800 national guard troops for assistance, Rauner said. Illinois already has troops assisting storm recovery in Texas.
Rauner said Illinois has half a dozen Illinois National Guard C-130 planes helping Texas, Florida and South Carolina, which is federally funded.
Illinois also sent supplies and a civilian support team to Texas and is ready to do similar things for Florida and other parts of the southeast United States.
