Illinois e-News Release
Public Information Officer Haley Williams
217-441-1480 / haley.williams@Illinois.gov
Deputy Public Information Officer Melissa Hahn
217-502-3543 / melissa.hahn@illinois.gov
March 30, 2026
Kankakee County Storm Damage Assessment Complete
Residents Encouraged to Pursue Repairs
SPRINGFIELD– Damage assessments have now been completed in Kankakee County following the devastating tornadoes that struck the Aroma Park area on March 10–11, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA OHS) are conducting a comprehensive review of the collected data.
The preliminary damage assessments help us understand the true extent of the March 10-11 storm’s impact,” said IEMA OHS Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger. “This information is an important part of the process that now allows us to review the data to identify the potential of additional support.”
The joint preliminary damage assessments (PDAs), conducted last week with the cooperation of the Kankakee County Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), documented hundreds of validated descriptions and photographs of damage. This information may lead state government to request federal assistance if the level of damage exceeds state capabilities.
Residents should not wait for potential federal assistance to begin their recovery. Survivors are strongly encouraged to take the following steps now:
- Contact their insurance providers and file claims as soon as possible
- Document all damages with photos or videos and keep repair and cleanup receipts
- Use proper safety precautions during cleanup
- Residents with unmet needs should contact 2 1 1
If the level of damage from this storm exceeds local and state capabilities, state government will submit a request for federal assistance through a federal disaster declaration. If that request is made, there is no set timeline for a federal decision.
Should this request for federal assistance be approved, information about how to apply will be widely communicated through Kankakee County, IEMA-OHS, FEMA, and SBA. We encourage survivors to monitor notification channels while pursuing repairs.
Disaster preparedness information is ready available from IEMA-OHS on the Ready Illinois website, a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during, and after disasters.
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