More Counties Added to June 29th Derecho Disaster Declaration

By Benjamin Cox on July 24, 2023 at 7:49pm

A tree lays across the smashed Old Main monument for MacMurray College in front of the Morgan County Health Department a day after a derecho struck Jacksonville.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has extended the disaster proclamation to 13 additional counties in relation to the June 29th derecho.

The disaster proclamation originally included Morgan and Sangamon in the listening area along with 6 other counties.

The new extension of the declaration will now include Calhoun, Christian, Pike, and Scott along with 9 others.

According to a press release, the extension is due to work done by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security with local governments to assess the impacts of the storms on the communities in these impacted counties. The new proclamation will allow additional local entities increased access to state resources and emergency personnel who can assist in response and recovery efforts.