For Immediate Release
Budzinski Announces $30 Million of Secured Disaster Aid Funding Across St. Clair County
Caseyville, East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, East Carondelet, and Dupo will receive millions to recover from 2022 floods
SPRINGFIELD, IL — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that much-needed disaster recovery funding through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program has been finalized for St. Clair County. The funds will be dispersed to different municipalities across St. Clair County, including Caseyville, East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, East Carondelet, and Dupo.
These funds will provide critical support for recovery efforts following the historic storms that devastated the area in 2022, leaving families and local businesses struggling to rebuild. The funding will be allocated to projects aimed at enhancing the resilience of local infrastructure, not only to facilitate rebuilding efforts but also to provide long-term protection against recurring flooding issues.
“St. Clair County faced unprecedented challenges when disastrous floods struck the community in 2022, inflicting widespread damage to homes, businesses, and essential infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “When I joined Congress, I made it a priority to ensure that St. Clair’s recovery application was organized amongst communities so that constituents could receive the critical support they desperately needed. The successful collaboration at every level of government—local, state, and federal—has been instrumental in securing this funding. I look forward to working closely with the mayors of Caseyville, East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, East Carondelet, and Dupo to ensure these resources are put to good use in rebuilding our community.”
“Severe storms have become increasingly common due to the climate crisis, placing strain on communities left in its wake. In 2022, tornadoes, floods, and damaging winds put downstate Illinoisans in danger and impacted several counties across the state,” said Senator Durbin. “With today’s announced funding, communities in St. Clair County will have access to the federal support they need to rebuild and prepare for the next disaster.”
“I’m proud to see this significant investment help support the St. Clair County communities devastated by severe flooding and extreme weather,” Senator Duckworth said. “While this funding will reach folks this time around, it’s cruel that this type of funding has been put at risk for communities across Illinois moving forward because of the Trump Administration’s recently announced cuts. I’ll continue working to protect our essential federal funding programs as we keep helping folks in every corner of our state prepare for and recover from natural disasters.”
“St. Clair County appreciates our Congressional and U.S. Senate representatives for the continued support to mitigate flooding issues. We look forward to continuing efforts to fix these long-standing problems,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman, Mark Kern.
“Thank you to Congresswoman Budzinski, Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, State Representative Katie Stuart and countless others for securing this critically needed infrastructure investment into the Village of Caseyville. Our village faces unnecessary risks associated with this outdated levee system. This $9.1 million grant will be used to increase the safety and security of our residents,” said Mayor of Caseyville, G.W. Scott Sr.
“Receiving $7 million dollars from the disaster recovery program will allow us to provide support to help our citizens and local businesses that were affected by the devastating storms in July 2022. Recovery is a continuous effort, and we are thankful to Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski and her team for partnering with the community to help us bring some hope back to our citizens,” said Mayor of East St. Louis Charlie Powell III and City Manager Robert Betts.
“This funding marks a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure resilience and improve the quality of life for residents. The grant will be used to support the Piat Place Neighborhood (south of State Street) Flood Risk Reduction Project, which will provide much-needed stormwater drainage improvements to protect homes and businesses from persistent flooding,” said Mayor of Cahokia Heights, Curtis McCall.
The funding announcement follows a concerted effort by Budzinski as well as Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. In August 2022, Durbin and Duckworth sent a joint letter to President Biden urging him to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration for St. Clair County. This declaration, granted in September 2022, made the county eligible for critical federal disaster assistance, including the CDBG-DR funds now being distributed.
The finalized CDBG-DR funding includes the following allocations for local municipalities:
- Caseyville: $9,190,146.90
- East St. Louis: $6,396,188.10
- Cahokia Heights: $10,000,000
- East Carondelet $1,308,515.00
- Dupo: $1,570,800.00
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