Rauner tours flood ravaged counties in northern Illinois

Posted on July 25, 2017
Flooding
Eight northwestern Illinois counties have incurred severe flooding in recent weeks. (Photo courtesy multimedia.illinois.gov)

By Howard Packowitz

MILAN – Gov. Bruce Rauner is issuing disaster declarations for eight northwestern Illinois counties, enabling state government to continue offering aid to flooded communities.

Visiting a state-run transportation yard in Milan, Rauner issued disaster proclamations Monday for Rock Island, Whiteside, Carroll, Henry, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, and Stephenson counties.

The governor’s office said the state has provided 175,000 sandbags to protect critical infrastructure, including a waste water treatment plant in Ogle County and Dixon High School in Lee County. A news release said the state is storing more than a half-million more sandbags at three northwestern Illinois locations.

The governor’s office also said the State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield has been operating continuously since July 14 to deal with flash and river flooding in parts of Lake, McHenry, Kane, and Cook Counties in northern Illinois.

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