A year ago, Flossmoor officials thought they had found a solution to one flooding problem in the village, but recent disruptions of FEMA grant funding have put the project on hold indefinitely, according to Public Works Director John Brunke.
The village was awarded a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant to cover 75% of the cost to acquire and demolish the property at 1648 Western Ave., which is situated near Butterfield Creek and is vulnerable to flooding. The village also was slated to receive Metropolitan Water Reclamation District funding to help cover the match for the FEMA grant.
The FEMA website section with news about Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants results in a “page not found” error with a notice: “FEMA.gov is being updated to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
NPR reported on April 2 that the Trump administration continues to resist efforts by the courts to order the restoration of FEMA funds.
At the March 17 village board meeting, Brunke reported that with the FEMA grant paused, the project will not move forward for now.
“We aren’t doing any other work on it. We aren’t even going to bring the agreements forward to the board until the funding is released,” he said. “There’s a chance it might not be released.”
If the project had proceeded, the village would have acquired the property, demolished the home on it and restored the land to its natural condition, Brunke said in an email to the Chronicle in March 2024.
He said the site would remain open space and would be deed restricted “to prevent any future development” in the flood-prone location.
The program is voluntary, and Brunke said the current homeowner had expressed support for the project, which would have been the village’s first flood-prone property buyout.