Big snowstorm spurs plea for federal help
The seemingly continual snowstorms this season blend together, but one event was so significant it has triggered calls for federal help from 21 counties in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Illinois on Tuesday joined its neighbor to the north, asking the federal government to declare a tier of eight Illinois counties, including Lake and McHenry, as snow emergency areas.
The state declaration is the first step in seeking federal funding for up to 75 percent of overtime and other costs associated with the mega-storm Feb. 5 and 6.
"We're about $90,000 over budget and that's just salt cost, not overtime. We're hurting just like other communities," said Jeff Van Landuyt, assistant public works director in Woodstock.
With another six inches of snow reported Monday and Tuesday, Woodstock is at an unofficial total of 76 inches for the season -- 27 inches more than the official total at O'Hare International Airport.
Boone, Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties were the other areas in Illinois where at least one community in each experienced record or near-record snowfall during that 48-hour period.
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle made a similar request last Thursday for 13 south and southwestern counties, citing snow totals of up to 19 inches in some locations and blizzard conditions during the storm.
This is the fifth request of this kind for portions of Illinois since 1999, but only the third in Wisconsin since 1979.
"It's pretty rare," said Lori Getter, spokesperson for Wisconsin Emergency Management. Government entities in 14 Wisconsin counties shared $5.4 million in federal funds during the last declared snow emergency in 2001.
"It has to be an official record," Getter said. "It can't be someone taking a yardstick out and measuring it."
That's certainly been the case.
"We are talking about many new, all-time winter snowfall records being set this winter … one for the ages!" proclaims the National Weather Service's Web site covering that area.
McHenry County was included in a 2006 declaration for 26 counties in northern and central Illinois. Both Lake and McHenry were among 27 counties declared in 2001 and 51 counties declared in 1999 -- which is considered the benchmark for Illinois snow emergencies.
In Lake County, Antioch was listed as the example for the Feb. 5-6 event, with 19.3 inches, compared to the record 21 inches. Monday's storm dropped about 4 inches in Antioch, raising the season total to more than 75 inches.
"We've been inundated with extra costs," said Antioch Mayor Dorothy Larson. "It's just the stress it's put on everyone -- it's been incredible."
Lake County agencies received $1.2 million from the federal government for the 1999 event and about $1 million in 2001. McHenry entities received $529,000 in 2006, $439,000 in 2001 and $438,000 in 1999.