Williamson County extended its disaster declaration for an additional 30 days and emergency management staff reported on response and recovery efforts, including a live self-assessment tool, an SBA application process and the formation of a long-term recovery group.

A motion to extend the county’s disaster declaration to June 22 passed at the meeting; staff said they would correct minor drafting details and file the signed extension with state authorities. County staff emphasized that SBA (Small Business Administration) assistance eligibility requires the governor’s approval before SBA low-interest loans and field agent support can be activated.

County emergency management staff described a new online self-assessment survey, created in partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), that residents can complete via QR code or link. The survey collects details FEMA and IEMA need to evaluate needs and thresholds for public assistance or SBA disaster programs. Staff reported preliminary staff-observed counts from door-to-door damage assessments: 21 destroyed properties, 28 with major damage, 17 with minor damage and six affected properties; self-reporting totals were described as “not far off.”

The county has formed a long-term recovery group made up of local non-governmental organizations to coordinate donated goods and match unmet needs. Staff also said they had canvassed affected neighborhoods, distributed information on the Red Cross multi-agency resource center and were directing residents with unmet needs to the long-term recovery partners for assistance and temporary housing where needed.

Operational details: volunteers and feeding operations are scaling back as response transitions into recovery; the volunteer reception center was scheduled to close the day after the meeting as more work requires professional contractors. County highway crews and inter-county mutual aid were reported as supporting vegetative debris removal and staging for dumpsters; staff cautioned against residents moving debris from woods to roadlines prematurely.

Staff requested that residents who are uninsured or underinsured complete the self-assessment survey because SBA and other federal programs use that data to determine eligibility for assistance. The emergency management staff said they will send updated datasets to the county assessor to support disaster-related assessment adjustments.