Cook County Issues Disaster Proclamation for July 2 Storms and Flash Flooding

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle issued a disaster proclamation today for suburban Cook County in response to storms that hit the region on July 2. Several rounds of storms dumped nearly nine inches of rain in less than 24 hours in parts of the County, leading to severe flooding and other storm damage. Berwyn, Cicero and Stickney were the hardest hit suburban Cook County municipalities.

By signing this proclamation, the County is able to pursue all available resources to assist communities and residents in their recovery efforts.

“Residents and businesses across Cook County sustained significant damage due to severe storms that struck our community on July 2,” said President Preckwinkle. “My administration immediately took action to ensure that municipalities had the resources they needed to safeguard their communities. This proclamation is the latest step in the process to assist in the recovery from the storm’s impacts.”

The Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS) responded on the day of the storms, coordinating the deployment of County assets to assist with response and recovery efforts. EMRS continues to provide technical assistance and support in conducting preliminary damage assessments at the municipal level.

Municipalities in suburban Cook County have already received more than 3,400 reports of damage to homes and businesses from this event.  These reports, combined with data collected by the City of Chicago for their jurisdiction, demonstrate the significant impact of this storm and associated flash flooding on the region.