INDIANA – Indiana’s major disaster declaration for the March 31 – April 1 storms and tornadoes now authorizes funding for nine counties to restore community infrastructure through FEMA’s Public Assistance program.
“Last week, I met with state and local partners in Indiana who are working hard to recover from these devastating storms. I heard first-hand of the financial strain on their communities,” said FEMA Region 5 Administrator Thomas Sivak. “With the addition of our Public Assistance program, we can now begin to assist with more eligible disaster-related expenses, and continue moving Indiana down the road to recovery.”
“Public Assistance helps eligible applicants such as government agencies and eligible non-profits cover the costs of emergency response, debris removal, and restoration of public facilities and infrastructure,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Brian Schiller. “It gives us another tool to help communities recover.”
Local governments, private nonprofits, and houses of worship in Brown, Benton, Clinton, Johnson, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White counties can apply for reimbursement of eligible work, which is divided into eight categories:
- Category A: Debris removal
- Category B: Emergency protective measures
- Category C: Roads and bridges
- Category D: Water control facilities
- Category E: Public buildings and contents
- Category F: Public Utilities
- Category G: Parks, recreational and other facilities
“The decision to authorize Public Assistance will go a long way toward helping these communities rebuild better and stronger,” said Indiana Department of Homeland Security Director Joel Thacker. “Now, both residents and the local governments coordinating the cleanup effort understand they have the support of the state and federal governments.”
Agencies and organizations interested in applying should contact their local emergency manager, a list of which can be found at in.gov/dhs/contact-us/#StatewideContactMap.
For more information about the Public Assistance program, visit fema.gov/assistance/public.
