Trump administration OKs major disaster declaration for 21 Indiana counties

By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

The Trump administration has approved a major disaster declaration to provide federal aid to 21 Indiana counties damaged in storms and flooding in mid-August, Gov. Mike Braun announced Tuesday night in a news release.

The release did not say how much money would be available, only that it was “millions.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will oversee the distribution of funds. Braun on Thursday asked for the aid to be fast-tracked to help residents and local governments rebuild.

In the release, the Republican governor thanked Republican President Donald Trump for the approval, noting that the federal support is a critical partnership that will help residents get back on their feet and help communities rebuild after the historic flooding.

The approval includes both individual assistance for households and public assistance for infrastructure repairs in these counties: Carroll, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union, and Wayne counties.

The approval also includes assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities in these counties: Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Porter, Tipton, and Wayne counties.

Other counties may be added as state and federal officials continue to review damage data.

FEMA said in a news release issued Tuesday night that individuals and families who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance at disasterassistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA app. People who use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or others, can provide FEMA the number for that service.

FEMA named Darrin C. Ricketts as the lead official for federal recovery efforts.

The Trump administration has issued more than 70 major disaster declarations during his second term as president. More than two dozen have been denied.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/weather/weather-stories/trump-administration-oks-major-disaster-declaration-for-21-indiana-counties.