Much-needed financial assistance is on its way after Indiana Governor Mike Braun proclaimed a state of emergency for many counties in our region.
Two of those counties, Marshall and Elkhart, were damaged by strong storms less than three weeks ago.
Emergency management officials stated that this declaration allowed for more governmental assistance rather than individual support.
With state-level backing, the county can now assist in recouping costs for companies, first responders for overtime, and other government entities involved in the initial response.
Countless homes, first responders, government officials, and others are still picking up the pieces from the catastrophic storms that hit late March and early April.
Though the debris has been cleaned and many people are on their way to restoring their homes, there is still help available.
That assistance now takes the shape of funding, which is where the county and state emergency declarations come into play.
Executive Director of Elkhart County EMA Jennifer Tobey described this as a blessing in disguise.
“So, I will let these people know when that reception center opens and then they can come, and they literally go from table to table and meeting with professionals to determine what types of eligibility they have for what programs. And sometimes more than one program can meet their needs,” said Tobey.
Tobey stated that without declaring a state of emergency on either level, the EMA would not have been able to get reimbursement for additional costs incurred by government entities, such as overtime.
Despite her reservations about the official proclamation, she ultimately concluded that it was the correct decision.
Tobey now hopes that those affected by the storms would take advantage of the opportunity and contact her office.
“So really the assistance that comes in is based off of how many homes were damaged, how much overtime was worked. And the more that I can report helps the county but also helps the state,” said Tobey.
Tobey also encourages everyone to have a gadget that warns them about a calamity before it occurs, such as a weather radio.
