Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief Team Providing Disaster Relief to Residents

The Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief Team is offering disaster relief services to residents of the city and surrounding areas. They will primarily help clear areas on private property to assist those in need. They will prioritize their work based on hazards, elderly, inability to move vehicles, etc.

The team will arrive in Chatham, Illinois at Chatham Baptist Church on Wednesday, July 5th, to start accessing the area. The saw teams will arrive on Thursday, July 6th, to begin work.

Anyone that has a need for their assistance should email IBDRdirector@gmail.com

and include their name, address, phone number and a brief description of help needed. 

Information on the Local State of Emergency 

The Mayor’s Declaration of Local State of Emergency opens up tools and resources that can be used by the Mayor through executive action to assist in resolving the emergency. For example, after a declaration, the Mayor may institute a curfew, take actions reasonably necessary to respond to the emergency, approve previously appropriated expenditures of the City for the purpose of continuing the operations of the municipality, and make individual purchases of not more than $100,000 for any one item. These powers expedite the City’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently to the emergency by bypassing the procedural steps and City Council approval process usually required for such actions. The Mayor can only take emergency action through executive order, so any action taken by the Mayor pursuant to these powers will be accompanied by a written executive order. The declaration is also the first step in the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s process for seeking public assistance funding related to the emergency. 

The general curfew imposed within the corporate limits of the City of Springfield, Illinois from 10:00 p.m. on June 29, 2023 to 5:00 a.m. on June 30, 2023 has now been lifted and is not currently being reinstated due to progress being made in the city with debris cleanup. There will therefore be no restrictions on the hours of movement within the city.

Events Cancelled Due To The Impacts of the Storm

Several events have been cancelled or postponed throughout the city due to the impacts of the recent storm. Below is the information we have received on recent event cancellations:

Capital City Celebration-July 1-Event Cancelled

1619 The Musical-July 1-2-

Event Postponed

Cottonwod Event at Oak Ridge Cemetery-July 1-

Event Cancelled

Great Lawn Kite Festival in Southwind Park-July 1-

Event Cancelled

Resources To Help With Recovery From the Storm

As we work diligently to recover the city from the recent storm, we want to provide you with resources to assist in restoring our community:

• For debris blocking roadways and sidewalks, please call: 217-789-2246

• If you have not reported an outage already, please call: 217-789-2121

• If you or a family member’s health has been impacted by outages or the storm, please call American Red Cross at: 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED-CROS)



• Any senior community members requiring assistance should contact AgeLinc: (217) 787-9234 (Office) or (800) 252-2918 (Toll Free) or The Senior Services Center of Central Illinois: (217) 528-4035 or (217) 528-3882

Please Practice Safe Driving When Traffic Lights Are Out Throughout The City

Due to the recent storm, there are several traffic lights out throughout the city. Use caution at all intersections with a flashing traffic light.

The rule when traffic lights are out is you must come to a complete stop at intersections or roadways where the traffic lights are not on. You must treat the light as a stop sign.

Please drive safely and slowly as police, fire, CWLP, and Public Works are working to restore power, remove debris, and keep the community safe!

Staying Safe Until Power is Restored is Key

When a prolonged power outage occurs during hot weather, take steps to maintain safety and comfort until power is restored.

It’s important to stay clear of downed power lines at all times, even during cleanup efforts. Be alert to the possibility that tree limbs or debris may hide an electrical hazard.

Assume that any dangling wires you encounter are electrical and treat all downed or hanging lines as if they are energized and dangerous. If you are driving and come upon a downed power line, stay in your vehicle, warn others to stay away and contact emergency personnel or your electric utility. Also when driving, be careful at intersections where traffic lights may be out.

If power to your home is out for a prolonged period, know and understand important safety precautions and steps to cope with heat until power is restored:

• Dress in loose, lightweight clothing and stay on the coolest, lowest level of your home.

• Use natural ventilation to cool homes, and consider purchasing battery-powered fans.

• Drink plenty of water and avoid heavy meals, caffeinated drinks and alcohol.

• Keep refrigerator or freezer doors closed. A freezer that is half full or full can keep foods frozen 24 to 48 hours. Foods can stay safe in an unopened refrigerator up to four hours. If an outage lasts longer than four hours, remove and pack meat, milk and other dairy products in a cooler with ice.

• Use safe alternative food preparations. A barbecue grill is an excellent way to prepare food. Always grill outside.

• Check on friends and relatives—especially children, seniors, and those with medical conditions or disabilities. These people may need to seek emergency cooling shelters.

• Keep a first-aid kit in your home and one in your car. Make sure that it includes scissors, tweezers, safety pins, aspirin, eyewash and rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

• Close all drapes and blinds on the sunny side of your residence.

• Take your family and pets to a basement or other cool location if you have one. Also consider going to an air-conditioned public place during warmer daytime hours.

We have a number of tips at our Outage Center on what to do during a power outage https://cwlp.com/.../ElectricInforma.../ElectricOutages.aspx

We also share information from the CDC on outage safety. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/index.html