President issues disaster declaration

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April 23, 2009

<b>Announcement makes residents of Pulaski, Carroll, Fulton and White counties eligible for aid</b>

by John Dempsey Pharos-Tribune Thu Apr 23, 2009, 11:16 AM EDT

Good news came late Wednesday afternoon for residents of Pulaski, Carroll, Fulton and White counties.

President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration that covers 13 Indiana counties for damage suffered during heavy storms and flooding from March 8 to 14.

U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. The four area counties, as well as LaPorte and Marshall, are in the 2nd District, which Donnelly represents. Other counties included in the declaration are Allen, DeKalb, Jasper, Kosciusko, Lake, Noble and Whitley.

The declaration released Federal Emergency Management Agency funds that can be used to pay for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs.

Donnelly was the author of an April 10 letter in which the state’s entire congressional delegation backed Gov. Mitch Daniels’ application for the declaration.

“It cleared through very, very quickly,” he told the Pharos-Tribune Wednesday. “This is a chance to get assistance to families that much quicker.”

Donnelly described the flooding as a major disaster.

“I walked the river fronts in Carroll, Pulaski and Fulton counties,” he said. “I’ve been in homes that are unlivable, walked into the kitchens and living rooms. This absolutely took the wind out of the sails of families.”

FEMA’s funds will be used to supplement recovery efforts by the state and local communities. The agency named Regis Leo Phelan as coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Assistance from FEMA can include temporary housing rental payments for people whose homes are unlivable; grants for home repairs and replacement of essential items that are not covered by insurance; grants to replace personal property not covered by insurance; up to 26 weeks of unemployment compensation for the temporarily unemployed who do not qualify for state benefits; grants to help meet some medical and dental needs; low-interest loans covering residential and small-business losses; and crisis counseling.

Donnelly noted this is the second straight year a major disaster area has been declared in the district as a result of 100-year floods.

“Everyone is pretty worn out,” he said. “This made a big impact on the district, and we wanted to make sure everyone got squared away. It’s been a challenging year, but what we’ve found day after day is the incredible generosity of Hoosier families pitching in to help those in need.

“Everyone put their chin up to get things done and get to the other side, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Want to apply?

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance today by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or (800) 462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) every day until further notice.

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President issues disaster declaration

<b>Announcement makes residents of Pulaski, Carroll, Fulton and White counties eligible for aid</b>

The Indiana Senate last week approved a bill that would allow public schools to teach creationism in science classes as long as they included origin of life theories from other religions. Would you support such a measure?

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