After days of rainfall and hurricane-like winds that have caused substantial flooding, damages and at least five deaths throughout Indiana, President Donald Trump on Saturday evening approved an emergency declaration for the state. The President’s action authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide resources and work with local and state officials in Indiana to address damages and safety concerns.
Per a news release from FEMA, the disaster relief organization will provide assistance in 53 counties: Allen, Bartholomew, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Morgan, Newton, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Union, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne and White.
The announcement came hours after Sen. Jim Banks posted on X that the President had “agreed to send millions of dollars of much-needed federal disaster assistance to the state of Indiana following this week’s severe weather.” The Cambridge City Police Department previously warned that individuals in the area may be posing as FEMA agents, while Attorney General Todd Rokita in an Aug. 13 email advised Hoosiers to ask for credentials and verify identities of anyone claiming to offer flood relief services, avoid risky payments like wire transfers and insist on written agreements, adding that FEMA never charges application fees.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: President Trump approves Indiana emergency declaration, mobilizes FEMA
Reporting by Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
