Governor Adds Another 6 Illinois Counties to Disaster Area

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is adding another six counties to the state’s disaster declaration after strong weekend storms blew across the region.

The move was announced early Tuesday and brings the total number of counties given the designation to 13.

The newest counties being added are Douglas, Jasper, Pope, Wabash, Wayne and Will. The governor declared Champaign, Grundy, LaSalle, Massac, Tazewell, Washington and Woodford counties as state disaster areas on Monday.

Sunday’s storms spawned tornadoes that pummeled the state, killing at least six people and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. At least two of the tornadoes had a preliminary designation as EF-4s, the second-strongest rating.

The disaster designation is aimed at making it easier for state resources to help hard-hit communities.