Relief Uncertain for Tornado-Damaged Cameron

Tri States Public Radio | By T.J. Carson

Published July 28, 2015 at 10:10 AM CDT

An older house in Cameron was lifted and sits off its foundation in the aftermath of the Cameron tornado.

Cameron's residents are continuing to cleanup after an EF2 tornado struck the Warren County town on the night of July 16. But doubts remain over whether financial relief is available for the rebuilding process.

Agencies continue to assess the damage in Cameron to see if the community if eligible. Monmouth Fire Chief Casey Rexroat has been on the scene as the Warren County Emergency Manager. He said his biggest concern is that some homeowners did not have any insurance or enough insurance.

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“I know there’s a lot of people that are displaced right now because they don’t have insurance, and they don’t have anywhere to live currently,”Rexroatsaid.

Rexroatsaid some of those people were originally put up in hotels but had to move on to other locations once that resource was exhausted.

The town in general faces an uphill battle as it tries to get financial aid. Congresswoman CheriBustos(D-IL) said Cameron’s small size is working against it.

The remains of a house damaged in the Cameron tornado.

“The way the law is written now, there’s a formula that is based on a state population. And because we are in a state with a very large city, which is called Chicago, it is actually a detriment to the smaller towns,”Bustossaid.

Bustosadded she is working on a bill to rework the formula to have it based on the population of the affected town. She said she has held talks with Governor BruceRaunerto have his office request disaster relief from through Small Business Administration. The SBA offers low-interest loans for businesses, homeowners, and renters affected by a disaster.

Patty Thompson, Communications Manager for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said the agency is working on its own assessment. She said the department will gather information to determine how much help is needed.

Thompson said she was unsure about Cameron’s chances to receive federal disaster relief, pointing to Harrisburg as an example of a small town that did not receive disaster aid despite tornado damage. She said around 400 homes were damaged in the February 29, 2012 EF4 tornado that killed eight people in the southern Illinois community.

Thompson said if Cameron does not qualify for federal assistance,IEMAwill look to see what other programs or organizations might be available to offer assistance.