By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Forty-eight Indiana counties have been approved by FEMA for at least one of two types of federal assistance to help recover from spring flooding.

As of July 11, 41 Hoosier counties were approved for federal public assistance, said Jane Jankowski, press secretary for Gov. Mitch Daniels. This assistance is for governments needing help with repairing infrastructure, such as roads and buildings, she said. It will also help cover the cost of overtime and debris removal.
The 41 approved counties are: Adams, Bartholomew, Benton, Brown, Clay, Daviess, Decatur, Fountain, Franklin, Gibson, Greene, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Jackson, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Ohio, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Switzerland, Union, Vermillion, Vigo and Washington.

Forty counties in the state have been approved by FEMA for federal individual assistance, which is for homeowners, renters and businesses, Jankowski said. Residents in approved counties are eligible for grants to help pay for temporary housing and home repair.

They are also eligible for low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration.

Counties approved for this assistance are: Adams, Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Washington and Wayne.

More counties could be added to either list as assessment teams are still visiting some counties, Jankowski said.

For more information, and to see which counties in the state have been designated disaster areas, go to www.in.gov/gov/3725.htm to click on the link under “Information For Farmers,” then click on the map of approved disaster areas under Frequently Asked Questions. To reach FEMA to apply for assistance, call (800) 621-FEMA (3362).