Full Notification

FEMA Denies State’s Appeal for Federal Disaster Assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied Indiana’s appeal for federal disaster assistance for 19 counties damaged by severe storms and flooding in June and July.

The appeal was for government and non-profit organizations that provide essential public services for severe storms and flooding June 7 to July 20, 2015.

At least 10 deaths in June and July were connected to the storms, and Indiana presented FEMA with more than $11 million in confirmed damage. FEMA reaffirmed its earlier ruling that the state experienced two distinct weather systems. Consequently, the allowed damage was divided into two separate incidents, which roughly halved the total for each, and did not meet the threshold for a presidential disaster declaration. Indiana’s threshold for a single incident is $9.1 million.

Counties included in the request were Adams, Allen, Benton, Brown, Clark, Fulton, Huntington, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Marshall, Newton, Pulaski, Scott, Vermillion, Wabash, Warren, Washington and Wells.

Delaware County was excluded from the appeal after the FEMA Damage Assessment Team reviewed the applications and conducted site visits in Muncie and Delaware County. Thresholds were reviewed and applications were denied from their assessments.

Grants of this type, called public assistance, are for governments and certain non-profit organizations that provide essential government services. These grants will pay 75 percent of eligible expenses for damage to roads, bridges, utilities, buildings’ contents and equipment, water control facilities, parks and recreational facilities, and others, as well as debris removal and emergency protective measures like traffic control and rescue operations in the aforementioned counties.