FEMA to help with snow cleanup costs

Even though the snow has long melted, both Lake and McHenry counties will be getting federal aid for their efforts to clean up after last month's immense storm.

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulson, announced that the two counties, along with six others in the state, will now have federal funds made available to them to recover some of the costs associated with the cleanup efforts from the Feb. 5 and 6 snow storm.

The federal funding will cover up to 75 percent of overtime and other costs associated with the storm.

Boone, Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties are also eligible for the federal funding.

The decision to give the counties the federal aid came just one day after it was announced FEMA funding would not be provided to help pay for the costs in Lake County associated with last August's flooding.

Officials estimated $1 million was spent countywide on personnel overtime, supplies and other costs to clean up the flood's damage.

This most recent request for federal aid to help with storm cleanup costs was the fifth of its kind for portions of Illinois since 1999.