15 More Counties Designated For Individual Assistance 

A total of 68 counties now designated for disaster related assistance

Release Date: June 29, 2004
Release Number: 1520-049

» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Disaster assistance for Indiana has been expanded to include aid for homeowners, renters and business owners in 15 additional counties affected by the tornadoes, storms and flooding, according to officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Indiana State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

Justo "Tito" Hernandez, FEMA federal coordinating officer, said the additional individual assistance was approved based on a review of damage data gathered by federal, state and local disaster recovery officials.

The counties added on Tuesday, June 29, are Adams, Allen, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Franklin, Huntington, Jennings, Kosciusko, Noble, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland, Wells, and Whitley.

"We remain committed to ensuring that every qualified family and business receives the help they need," Hernandez said. "Residents with damage related to the disaster need to call the toll-free registration number. It is the only way to apply for a wide range of state and federal disaster assistance programs that may include funding for temporary disaster housing assistance and other disaster related needs as well as low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA)."

The toll-free application number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) and may be reached between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. until further notice. Those with speech or hearing impairments may call TTY 1-800-462-7585.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration

Last Modified: Wednesday, 30-Jun-2004 09:30:19