West Cook News

City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle have issued disaster proclamations following flooding that occurred from July 25 to July 28. The flooding, caused by several days of heavy rainfall, affected residential areas throughout the City of Chicago and Cook County. Municipalities such as Burbank, Justice, and Summit were among those most impacted.

The proclamations allow both the city and county to seek additional resources for recovery efforts. Mayor Johnson stated, “Issuing this disaster proclamation is a necessary step to address the severe damage in Chicago and Cook County due to recent floods. We thank President Preckwinkle, Cook County and the State of Illinois for their partnership to help repair this damage for our Chicago residents. We also thank our first responders, OEMC and City departments who help our residents navigate flooding.”

President Preckwinkle added, “Cook County residents sustained significant damage due to severe storms that struck our community in late July. I’m grateful for the partnership with the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois in conducting damage assessments. My administration continues to coordinate recovery efforts with impacted municipalities and will ensure we pursue all possible opportunities for additional assistance.”

In response to the flooding, agencies including the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS), and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) asked affected residents to complete a flood assessment survey. The survey aimed to determine how much storm-related damage occurred across the state as part of an effort to begin disaster assessments that could lead to federal aid.

As of August 6, 2025, a total of 3,302 surveys had been submitted by residents from Chicago and suburban Cook County. Of these reports:

- 111 residences were considered destroyed,

- 544 had major damage,

- 1,451 had minor damage,

- 1,018 were affected.

OEMC and EMRS are continuing their work by collecting information on public assistance expenses related to city agency responses as well as those from suburban municipalities during the flooding event. This process is necessary in order to determine if local jurisdictions meet federal thresholds for reimbursement.

Collaboration between city agencies, nonprofit organizations, OEMC, EMRS, IEMA, and other partners remains ongoing as they coordinate recovery efforts across communities impacted by last month’s flood events.