US News
Severe storms and severe flooding cause widespread damage in Indiana as federal aid remains pending
Recent flooding and a derecho storm killed seven people and caused an estimated $5 billion in damage across the state.
The short version
- Severe weather, including record rainfall on August 12 and an August 11 derecho, damaged critical infrastructure, displaced over 1,000 residents, and killed seven people across Indiana.
- Hard-hit areas include Cambridge City, where about 250 homes were damaged, and Gary, where hundreds of thousands lost power for more than two weeks.
- Indiana officials estimate total storm damages at approximately $5 billion, but a federal disaster declaration request submitted on August 21 has not yet been approved.
Key facts
- Record flooding and an August 11 derecho storm in Indiana resulted in seven deaths and displaced more than 1,000 people.[The Guardian]
- Approximately 10 inches of rain fell on Cambridge City on August 12, damaging about 250 of the town's 1,700 homes.[The Guardian]
- Hundreds of thousands of residents in Gary experienced power outages lasting over two weeks following the August 11 storm, and a section of Interstate-70 was washed out.[The Guardian]
- Indiana Governor Mike Braun submitted a disaster declaration to FEMA on August 21, but federal aid approval remains pending.[The Guardian]
- State leaders estimate the total cost of the storm and flood damage at roughly $5 billion.[The Guardian]
- Indiana's state disaster relief fund was recently increased from $2 million to $5 million.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It is unclear when or if FEMA will approve Governor Braun's disaster declaration request to release major federal support funds.[The Guardian]