Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle are both issuing respective disaster proclamations to assist residents in recovering from flooding that took place July 25-28.
Garfield Ridge and Clearing neighborhoods, Burbank, Justice and Summit were among the hardest hit areas that suffered extensive flooding.
By signing these proclamations, the City of Chicago and Cook County can pursue all available resources to assist communities and residents in their recovery efforts.
“Issuing this disaster proclamation is a necessary step to address the severe damage in Chicago and Cook County due to recent floods,” said Johnson. “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.”
“Cook County residents sustained significant damage due to severe storms that struck our community in late July,” said Preckwinkle. “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 severe flooding, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency asked residents impacted by flooding that occurred July 25-28, 2025 to complete a flood assessment survey.
The objective of the survey was to assess the extent of storm-related damage across the state and initiate the disaster assessment process to determine potential eligibility for federal assistance.
As of August 6, 3,302 surveys were filled out by city and suburban residents. Those surveys found:
- 111 residences considered to be destroyed
- 544 residences considered to have major damage
- 1,451 residences considered to have minor damage
- 1,018 residences considered to be affected
OEMC and EMRS will continue to collect public assistance dollar figures for city agency responses and suburban municipal responses during the flooding incident to determine if Cook County and Chicago jurisdictions would meet the threshold to receive reimbursement of response-related expenses from the federal government.
The City of Chicago and Cook County continue to collaborate with various nonprofit organizations and city agencies to ensure resident needs are being met in the aftermath of the flood. Additionally, OEMC, EMRS and IEMA will continue to coordinate recovery efforts across impacted communities and will pursue all available disaster assistance.