Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is appealing the federal government’s decision to reject funding for cleanup from last year’s tornadoes. FEMA - the Federal Emergency Management Agency - approved money to go toward businesses and individuals. But it denied federal aid to local units of government that were hit by November’s tornadoes. Quinn says the region around Central Illinois needs the money.
“A number of those communities were hit by the flooding in the Spring, and then the tornadoes in November and now the weather disaster with the snow and the very cold weather this month and I would hope that FEMA will see those special circumstances to help us get the federal money.”
FEMA said infrastructure damage after the storms wasn't severe enough to warrant federal help.
At least seven people were killed statewide and hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed.