Gov. JB Pritzker visits Stephenson, Winnebago counties to assess flood damage

March 20-- Mar. 20--FREEPORT -- Gov. JB Pritzker walked along a submerged portion of East Stephenson Street on Wednesday as part of a tour to assess the flood damage that's affected hundreds of homes in both Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

"We're responding to any needs that the county and city are asking for," Pritzker said at news conference held at the corner of East Stephenson and Commercial Avenue. "We'll do everything we can and as the situation changes, we'll continue to evaluate it."

Pritzker was joined by representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Stephenson and Winnebago counties and the city of Freeport. He stressed that IEMA has made all state resources available to the communities affected by floods.

"We've actually raised this to a level-two emergency situation for the state," Pritzker said. "Really, every resource that can be brought to bear is being brought to bear."

Alicia Tate-Nadeau, acting director of the Illinois Emergency Management Association, said both counties have so far had the resources necessary to handle flooding. But the state is able to provide sand bags, rolls of plastic, large pumps, heavy machinery and, in some cases, work crews to help with sandbags if necessary, she said.

Water levels on the Pecatonica River have receded by about 18 inches since cresting at 17.26 feet on Monday. The river is expected to remain above the 13-foot flood level until Sunday, which means floodwaters will remain in the area into next week.

Meanwhile, the Rock River at Latham Park is also receding after reaching a record high of 14.44 feet on Monday. But water levels were still above the 13.5 foot major flood stage Wednesday afternoon.

"We've got a sustained flooding situation across both counties and across the region," Pritzker said. "It's going to recede a little bit but come back up. I want everybody to be safe."

It's unclear when those who have evacuated their homes due to flooding will be able to return. About 175 residents of Freeport's east side vacated their homes, while nearly 700 homes have been affected by flooding in Winnebago County.

"We're waiting for the river levels to drop below flood stage and then we need to do damage assessments," said Bob Baker, director of the Stephenson County Emergency Management Agency. "The concern is, we have a lot of washed-out roadways.

"As you're standing on the blacktop, there have been reports that some water is actually running under streets on one side and coming out the other, so clearly we have some roads that are very much compromised."

Katherine O'Toole, spokeswoman for the Winnebago County Health Department, said in an email that staff in the Winnebago County Emergency Operations Center continue to monitor conditions. Once floodwaters recede, residents may face another challenge.

"Floodwaters may be contaminated and can create unsafe conditions or accelerate mildew and mold growth in homes," she said.

Rain and snow in Wisconsin could lead to additional flooding in the region in two to three weeks. The entire state will likely be affected at some point, Tate-Nadeau said.

"We're looking at a sustained flood fight in the state of Illinois," Tate-Nadeau said. "If there is a river in the state, we anticipate flooding."

Pre-disaster mitigation

The city of Freeport has applied for a pre-disaster mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If the grant is awarded, the city would be eligible for up to $4 million to cover costs associated with buying flooded properties on the east side, the current owners' moving expenses and the demolition of the structures.

The grant would allow property owners with flood insurance to receive the assessed value of the property, plus five times the cost of flood insurance. For those without flood insurance, the city would be able to offer the owner the assessed value of the home and up to an additional $31,000.

Freeport officials sent the request to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, which passed the information along to FEMA.

"We have packaged those up and, yes, we'll continue to give that extra emphasis," Tate-Nadeau said while standing near a flooded area in Freeport. "I do think whenever you look at what's behind us and you talk about the national changes that we're seeing -- 100 year floods are occurring every three to five years, it just strengthens our case for why we want to focus on pre-mitigation."

Staff writer Kristen Zambo contributed to this report.

Derrick Mason: 815-232-0133; [email protected]; @derrickhmason

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