Governor Declares Entire State Disaster Area

Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared every county in Illinois a disaster Tuesday following a severe winter storm.

By 10:30 a.m., about 7,000 Illinois households lacked power, and the number was expected to fluctuate given the extreme weather and arctic temperatures. Illinois residents were asked to safely conserve energy to reduce strain on the nation’s power grid.

The governor said he was directing his administration to use all resources at their disposal to keep communities safe.

Extreme weather has disrupted natural gas production in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. At the same time, spikes in demand and decreased supply are causing spikes in natural gas prices. Utility companies nationwide are reporting soaring wholesale costs. Without federal intervention, those increased prices could result in higher utility bills for Illinois residents in the coming weeks.