President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared 15 Illinois counties major disaster areas. That includes Tazewell county where hundreds of homes were destroyed in Washington and surrounding towns. Woodford, Champaign and LaSalle counties were also among those getting the federal designation. Federal assistance that's made available can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans for uninsured property losses.
In related news, Washington residents WILL have access to heavily-damaged areas of the city starting Wednesday at noon. The move follows two days of temporary closure as city crews removed large amounts of debris on street-curbs. Officials say a parking bad for the affected areas starts Wednesday from 9 to 7, and will be enforced until further notice.