SE Illinois News

State Senator Dale Fowler has reported on the coordinated efforts of local and state officials to provide assistance to southern Illinois residents affected by a severe winter storm over the weekend. "This winter storm has caused problems across southern Illinois, and we are working closely with State Emergency Agencies and the Governor’s Office to get the information and the resources needed to help our residents," Fowler stated.

In an update provided on January 6, Senator Fowler noted that first responders were active in the 59th Senate District. Additionally, 150 trucks from neighboring states have been deployed to assist in power restoration efforts. Discussions with the Governor's office and local officials regarding a state disaster declaration are ongoing.

Fowler explained that following a disaster event, both natural or man-made, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) instructs all parties to coordinate through their local County Emergency Management Offices. Individuals experiencing home or property damage should initially contact their private insurance providers.

A state disaster proclamation can be issued by the Governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, covering one or more counties or potentially the entire state for up to 30 days. This allows for certain emergency powers and access to funds from the Disaster Response and Recovery Fund for related expenses.

Damage assessments commence locally at the beginning of an event by local officials. Although there are no set metrics in state law, assistance is determined based on requests from local governments submitted to IEMA. Several funds administered by IEMA facilitate federal aid distribution.

Data shared with Senator Fowler as of January 7 indicated approximately 68,500 customers had experienced outages since the storm began. The peak occurred early on January 6 with over 30,000 customers affected; however, power has since been restored to more than 58,000 individuals. Jackson, Williamson, Saline, and Gallatin counties saw most outages due to ice impacting Ameren Illinois' electric distribution system.

Restoration efforts involve around 1,100 personnel including line workers and contractors from five states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee. By noon on January 7 fewer than 10,000 outages remained as crews worked on downed poles and offline substations. Most utility customers are expected to have power restored by Tuesday night.

Information about warming centers is accessible online while impacted customers will receive estimated restoration times via alerts or phone calls if signed up for notifications.