State officials are compiling additional data in hopes of persuading the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reverse itself and provide disaster relief to Southern Illinois.
FEMA rejected a disaster declaration request that was submitted days after a tornado ravaged Harrisburg, killing seven people. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says FEMA inspectors may not have fully evaluated the extent of the damage, but state officials may have also submitted insufficient information.
Durbin says Illinois has a fighting chance to have the decision overturned, which would millions of dollars in financial aid for the region.
