FEMA rejects Illinois disaster aid for August storms, Pritzker vows appeal
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Cameron Hamilton denied Illinois' request for a major disaster declaration after severe August storms hit eight counties, including Cook and Will. Gov. JB Pritzker's office said the state will appeal the decision, and state Democrats accused the Trump administration of politicizing disaster relief.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The federal government has denied Illinois' request for a major disaster declaration covering eight counties, including Cook and Will, that were hit by severe storms this August, the governor's office said Thursday. The Pritzker administration said it will appeal the decision.
In a letter dated Wednesday, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Cameron Hamilton wrote that federal assistance was "not warranted," Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker's office said in a statement released Thursday.
"Our communities are still picking up the pieces from the destruction caused by severe weather this summer. Donald Trump should never play politics with their homes, businesses and infrastructure," Pritzker said in a news release. "When a massive storm system crosses state lines, the resulting damage should be evaluated fairly, consistently and based on the same objective standards and criteria, regardless of which state it impacts."
Record-setting year for severe weather in Illinois
The denial comes as Illinois leads the nation in tornado activity this year. State officials said the National Weather Service has confirmed about 212 tornadoes in Illinois so far in 2026.
The decision also follows a pattern in the administration. Pritzker's office noted that Trump's administration denied federal assistance to Illinois last year for July 2025 storms, which dumped five to six inches of rain in some areas, flooded basements and damaged thousands of homes. The state of Illinois put the average household damage at $16,784.
Neighboring Indiana approved
FEMA made disaster assistance available to neighboring Indiana, a solidly Republican state that also coped with power outages lasting up to two weeks from many of the same August severe storms, tornadoes, flooding and strong winds.
"Much like a toddler throwing a tantrum, Donald Trump continues to punish Americans who live in states that did not support him in the last election. This behavior is beneath the dignity of the office he holds," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois' senior senator and a Democrat, said in a statement.
A FEMA spokesperson could not be reached Thursday. The agency has previously disputed suggestions that politics plays a role in its decisions.
But reports throughout 2026 have shown that Trump's rejections of disaster declarations cast a shadow over the federal disaster-response system. An analysis by Politico's E&E News in March found Trump approved just 23% of disaster declaration requests from solidly Democratic states, compared with 89% from solidly Republican states. The administration also took an average of 80 days to decide on requests from solidly Democratic states, more than twice as long as for solidly Republican ones.
State and county leaders step in
The denial is the latest flashpoint in a long-running feud between Trump and Pritzker, who has made attacks on the president's policies a centerpiece of his campaign for a third term in the Nov. 3 election.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey said in a prepared statement that he was "disappointed" that the Trump administration had denied Illinois relief "after derechos and destructive storms have impacted countless farmers and families across the state."
"I would ask FEMA to reevaluate and reverse this decision. But if we want to ensure these decisions going forward are not clouded by partisanship, then perhaps it would be wise to have a leader of this state who is willing to work with Democrats and Republicans for the good of this state," Bailey said.
After the storms, Pritzker issued a state disaster proclamation that made additional state resources available for response and recovery. State agencies, including the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Homeland Security, have helped local officials with damage assessments and power restoration.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle pledged another $8 million to continue clearing debris from south suburban areas affected by the August storms. Preckwinkle said recently that about 100,000 cubic yards of debris from the area has already been removed.