Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones.
Today (Monday, November 20, 2023) marks an especially important day here in Calumet City. We are grateful to President Joe Biden for his swift approval of our Disaster Relief Declaration for the September 17th, storm that devasted thousands of Calumet City residents.
As we embark upon yet another holiday season, this news gives the residents who were negatively impacted by the storm a sense of relief and direction.
Many engineering experts have likened the September 17th, storm as the equivalent of a 500-year event as well as that of a tropical storm. No public infrastructure could have withstood such an enormous and violent type of occurrence.
We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Without the immediate and quick responses from the State of Illinois and the County of Cook, we would still be severely challenged in our relief efforts. We are equally grateful to MWRD President Kari Steele and her team.
The funding that will come from President Biden’s approval will allow residents to apply for federal individual assistance. We are currently awaiting from FEMA the dates and process in which impacted residents can begin applying for assistance.
Thaddeus Jones
Mayor
Calumet City, Illinois
