Lake County doesn't expect to get any FEMA funds for flooding damage

The images of sandbaggers and bloated rivers following the heavy rains in the Midwest and northern Illinois seem to be endless.

State and federal officials offer words of comfort and promise help to people whose homes are held hostage by brown, dirty water.

But, officials in small communities across northern Illinois who fight flooding on the Chain O' Lakes and Fox River know the reality: They've spent thousands of dollars from their cash-strapped budgets on sandbagging and employee overtime pay, but likely will be left high and dry when they ask for reimbursement from federal authorities.

Federal Emergency Disaster Agency officials don't agree with that assessment, but local officials say from their experience, it is the truth.

While the damages and costs to fend off flooding in Antioch and Fox Lake, for example, are nowhere near that in western Illinois from the swollen Mississippi River, Lake County towns already have spent a combined $1.6 million in flood-related costs in August and April. The recent flooding could add another $1.5 million to that, officials said.

Despite a disaster declaration last August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said local governments did not quality for aid. Some homeowners who suffered the worst damage were given federal money to offset the cost of the flooding.

This time, local officials will try yet again to get federal money, but they aren't optimistic.

"We'll apply for whatever grant they put in front of us," Fox Lake Mayor Cindy Irwin said. "But we won't get anything. We didn't get it the last two times, so why should we expect it this time?"

The reason, local emergency management officials said, lies in the federal agency's complicated process for granting disaster relief money. They complain that the problem is a mathematical formula used to help determine whether counties spent enough money to warrant aid.

FEMA officials, however, said that's not the case. They said many factors are considered and that numbers such as money spent and population are not ever the sole determinate, especially since that would violate federal disaster funding law.

While acknowledging the federal agency considers a lot of different information, Kent McKenzie, head of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, said money spent still seems to be a key factor.

McKenzie said FEMA multiplies the total county population by about $3.05 and compares it to the amount of money local governments spent to fight each flood.

Under the formula, Lake County governments would have to spend more than $2 million to be reimbursed, he said.

"They should take that to a smaller level because a municipality or township could be devastated financially from a flood, but in a large county like Lake County, we will never be near the level of expense to warrant FEMA grants to reimburse flood expenses," he said.

In its defense, FEMA spokeswoman Cat Langel said the agency evaluates several factors when reviewing requests submitted by a state government on behalf of local governments. They include: How the government and workers respond to the disaster; money available from other agencies; and the availability of insurance or programs, such as the Small Business Administration's Disaster Loan Program.

She added the agency also looks at how a disaster affected public health and safety, state and local involvement in recent disasters and what local governments have done to reduce future disaster damage.

While the state has declared Lake County a disaster area, along with 19 counties statewide, Langel said the state has not filed the official papers needed for Lake County yet. When that happens, federal officials said, it will kick off a series of steps to determine how much money goes to a given area.

"FEMA has not received a disaster declaration from the state of Illinois at this time," Langel said. "If the state chooses to submit one, they can, but they haven't made the official declaration at this time."

Filing the paperwork is only one step in a long process. From start to finish, the hoops that officials jump through trying to get money from FEMA are:

• State officials review the areas and decide whether to declare the county a state disaster area.

• That opens the door for state resources -- such as sandbags and personnel -- to be used. The state does not provide money for flood costs, said Patti Thompson of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

• After the water starts to recede, IEMA invites FEMA to tour flooded areas for a first-hand glimpse of the damage. After the tours are completed, damage assessments filed by IEMA is turned over to FEMA along with a request for government money.

• Those damage assessments are reviewed in Washington. Officials there determine whether the area should receive the disaster area tag.

• If that tag is applied, the governor requests whether homeowners, municipalities or both should receive money. Then, FEMA makes a final determination on what aid should be issued.

After the August 2007 flood, for example, the process led to FEMA money for homeowners to recoup damage costs, but local governments did not meet requirements for reimbursement.

As a result, officials in Antioch and Fox Lake -- both of which are trying to manage budget problems -- are not optimistic about the chances even after a third flood in 10 months.

In August 2007, water reached 2 feet above flood stage and about 18 inches past the point where homes are damaged.

Heavy rains and melting snow caused the Fox River and Chain to overflow in April, but well below the August level. Water reached a foot above flood stage and about 6 inches past the point where homes were damaged.

However, the current flood is shaping up as the worst since 1987. Floodwater is 16 inches to 2 feet deep in some low-lying areas along the Chain and 2.5 feet past the point where homes are damaged.

A preliminary damage assessment shows more than 400 homes or businesses in Antioch, Antioch Township, Fox Lake, Grant Township and Cuba Township have been affected by the flooding.

The assessment shows more than 100 homes have sustained significant damage, while more than 300 homes have water surrounding their homes, in their septic and well systems or affecting their way of life.

Antioch faces a budget deficit of $550,000 and may have to lay off employees to make ends meet. Mayor Dorothy Larson said another, unexpected, $100,000 in flood costs for this latest round of flooding won't help.

Fox Lake's Irwin estimates her village will have spent about $300,000 of taxpayer money in the last year to battle flooding on sandbag, overtime pay and other incidentals like clean-up kits and gasoline. This latest flood will cost the village more than $150,000, she said.

Irwin said the money will come out of the village's general fund, which is already tight.

"We have put out about 1,500 sandbags and the whole street department has been working overtime on flood issues," she said. "I would love Fox Lake to qualify for state or federal money because we can't afford to keep funding these natural disasters."