McLean County Board urged not to forget flood damage on area farms

Posted on July 7, 2021
Board member and Heyworth farmer William Friedrich came to the meeting with pictures of the damage on his property. (Photo courtesy: HOI/ABC)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – McLean County Board members are hearing from one of their own how flood damage happened in rural areas in addition to the Twin-Cities.

The board, meeting in special session Tuesday evening, agreed to extend the local disaster declaration another week to give emergency management staff more time to assess the damage.

Board member and Heyworth farmer William Friedrich came to the meeting with pictures of the damage on his property.

He said it won’t be known until after the fall harvest the extent of crop losses farmers suffered in the flood.

“This disaster is covering a lot of the McLean County area. It’s just not only Bloomington,” said Friedrich.

“A lot of the people out in rural America, these towns, you won’t hear from them. You just won’t hear from them, but I’m going to have their voices heard,” Friedrich also said.

Friedrich said he’s worried farmers will face federal government bureaucracy, and won’t get the help they need.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

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