Indiana Tornadoes: Federal Disaster Assistance Available, Obama Says

By Susan Guyett

INDIANAPOLIS, March 10 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said six southern Indiana counties devastated by severe weather and tornadoes last week were eligible for federal disaster assistance.

Obama was responding on Friday to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels request for aid after strong storms and tornadoes hit the rural southern part of the state on March 2, killing at least 13 people.

One of the tornadoes, in Jefferson County, was classified as an EF-4, one notch below the strongest rating, and considered an extremely dangerous storm with winds of around 200 miles per hour, the National Weather Service said.

Daniels said in a letter to Obama on March 4 that the storms had taken a heavy toll on the rural communities including homes destroyed or damaged and the displacement of 1,200 Henryville, Indian students.

Earlier in the week, the federal government said seven counties of Kentucky also affected by the same storm system would be eligible for disaster assistance. The National Weather Service said 21 people died in Kentucky and the state says 23 perished using a different measure of storm-related deaths.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs, according to Daniels' office.

Individuals can apply for assistance by registering at www.fema.gov/assistance or by calling 1-800-462-3362. (Reporting By Greg McCune)

Comments

[rhartodge]

04:45 PM on 03/12/2012

I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR BEFORE SOMEONE POSTS A COMMENT !. FIRST OF ALL, THE DISASTER ASSISSTANCE IS NO GIVEAWAY!. MY HUSBAND WORKED FOR THE SBA DISASTER LOAN ASSISSTANCE RELIEF, FOR OVER 20 YEARS.IT IS NOT A GIVAWAY!!!. THE APPLICANTS MUST APPLY AT THE OFFICES SET UP TO TAKE THE INFORMATION THEN AN AGENT OF THE SBA IS DISPATCHED TO GO TO THE APPLICANTS HOME/STORE/BUSINESS,. ETC... TO TAKE DOWN THE DETAILS OF THE LOSS THE FILLED OUT INFO, THEN GOES TO THE CENTRAL OFFICES (ATLANTA,SACRAMENTO, ONE IN TEXAS AND NEW yORK.THE lOAN OFFICERS ARE IN EACH OFFICES , tHE SPPLICANT MUST BE ABLE TO PAY THIS LOAN BACK. USUALLY )U=IN MY DAY @ 4% OR LESS . tHEN THE $ IS SENT FOR THE REPAIRS .. THE SBA SEND BACK PEOPLE WENT TO FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THE $$ WA BEING USED PROPERLY.

[mistergg69]

08:09 PM on 03/11/2012

As a teaparty republican, I don't want tax money going to help these folks, no bail outs to needy Americans.

[rimrock]

07:55 PM on 03/11/2012

A Republican governor asking the Federal goverment for help? Thought they interferred to much. MY! MY !

[dhartson]

06:58 PM on 03/11/2012

Gee...............took long enough

[get it right this time]

07:50 PM on 03/11/2012

He was on the phone with Susan Fluke.

[dhartson]

08:22 PM on 03/11/2012

LOL !!!! Fanned good one!

[kywst09]

06:38 PM on 03/11/2012

Don't tell Ron Paul we are giving money away to those unfortunate people. he'll be pissed

[Mezca]

06:15 PM on 03/11/2012

The posters in this thread are absolutely bonkers.

[Darkingz]

07:37 AM on 03/12/2012

I have to agree. I've read a few pages of "knowledgeable people" and it just sums up to all the talking points I normally hear/read. The amount of defending pres. Obama, the liberals have to do, does make us sound like "Obamabots". but really those conservative arguments are so debunked..... They don't care about the environment and they care about personal responsibility. But they cry foul when pres. Obama offers support. Maybe the governor didn't call a national disaster and there are an ever-increasing amount of disasters. GAH! maybe as a country, there needs to be a stop to the polarization and find some way to actually find some middle ground..... Good luck trying to get republicants to listen to some reason. They love to attack and try to pretend that only liberals do it, when they are just as bad.

[Mezca]

05:59 PM on 03/11/2012

Why are their so many conservatives on the green section of HP? They know they don't give a care about this stuff except to spout out dittohead comments.

[Norm Ackley]

06:42 PM on 03/11/2012

Now mr. christian just because you are old and are most presumably going to die before it is relevant, myself and alot of younger people are going to have to pay this debt and also are going to have to live with a devalued dollar. This means there are going to be even more homeless and families struggling and starving. You do understand the concept in reference to the value of a dollar bill right? What this does is makes it so imported goods cost more of our American dollars raising the prices on virtually everything while minimum wages hardly go up, it also means exported goods are worth less in the value of an American dollar. So do you think it is very christian to make others who had nothing to do with these stupid peoples decision to not have insurance in an obvious place to have it to suffer? I also would like to say I think you are incredibly ignorant to tell me you hope that I am not a christian and to only consider your own lifetime instead of others. Remember the world does not revolve around yourself.

[Mezca]

07:07 PM on 03/11/2012

Just letting you know I DID NOT flag your comments. Personal attacks aside you are entitled to your opinion.

[RosieRetro]

08:02 PM on 03/11/2012

Norm - I don't know how old you are, but anyone who has a mortgage on their house has to have homeowner's insurance. I can pretty much guarantee you that all of the folks hit by the tornadoes had homeowner's insurance.

It takes a while for insurance companies to process the checks, and when they do, it has to be signed off by the banks who hold those mortgage notes. Getting a house rebuilt or repaired is not like getting a car fixed after an accident. It takes months for funds to flow. In the meantime, those folks need shelter and someplace to store the belongings that they can salvage. That's were federal assistance for temporary shelters come into play.

After our house got damaged by hail, it took about 6 months for the insurance company to agree on how much they would cover so far as roofing and siding replacement. Then we had to find contractor willing to do it. When an entire region gets damaged, everyone needs a contractor. Most homeowers have 2 years from the date the damage occurred to get the insurance to pay to get everything replaced or repaired - roofers, siding, electricians, plumbers, drywall contractors, cement/concrete specialists and then there are the building inspectors, and approvals from any HOAs.

[lw1]

05:53 PM on 03/11/2012

Couldn't Ron Paul or Eric Cantor stop The President from helping these folks?

[treasuredtrophie]

06:22 PM on 03/11/2012

Why did it take a letter from the Gov for OB to act? The Demo the lazy slow socialist party doesn't think our problems just look for excuses.

[NHGUY2]

05:49 PM on 03/11/2012

Why not let the people of Indiana buy private insurance for their homes and businesses and get the federal government out of it all? If this insurance is expensive, prices for houses and businesses will fall until an equilibrium is reached. The states can tax themselves to pay for their own clean up costs.

[kywst09]

06:46 PM on 03/11/2012

Maybe in your town there is no good sammaritan ideas

[pbgardenpet]

03:47 PM on 03/11/2012

He should had done that last week. He doesn't do anything correctly or right. I hope they don't hold their breathe before it comes. He will a couple trucks and people in for photo shoot and then you hear from them again.

[Lisa29]

06:12 PM on 03/11/2012

Actually I was thinking he should be offering to help to start with and being it's not his money he's offering he's actually doing what he was elected to do. So what!! Isn't it amazing how things magically get done in an election year?

[pbgardenpet]

07:26 PM on 03/11/2012

They will never see the help they need. This like a photo op.

[CASnyder]

04:02 AM on 03/12/2012

The POTUS is supposed to wait to declare an area a federal disaster zone until the state's governor requests it, because it would be stepping on the gov's toes to declare his state a disaster before he said it was. So you should ask the republican governor about what the delay was in requesting help. Obama may have made a private call to the gov of Indiana to let him know that help would be forth-coming if he asked, but he knows the protocol and wouldn't shame a governor by making such dialogue public. In public he respect's the state's lead.

[Sukeycat]

02:15 PM on 03/11/2012

Another Quote for those that voted for Obama.

"When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war,or in a state of enmity,and a freedom from disquieting opressive thoughts.We,as a nation have placed upon the nations of Islam,an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past."

Senator Barrack Obama on Sept 7th 2008 "Meet the Press"

[VoteObama2012]

10:30 AM on 03/12/2012

That is another lie made up by right wingers, you should be ashamed to repeat it.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/stance.asp

[rhartodge]

04:57 PM on 03/12/2012

AND I hope all the Loyal Demos REAd and Understand these Comments ..Obama Leave America AND take that wife of your with you . Move to an IIslamic Nation!!!

[Dallas Dunlap]

07:49 AM on 03/13/2012

rhartodge - You seem to believe an obvious right wing lie. Have you even thought about checking the source?

[Iya Sapa Mato]

01:44 PM on 03/11/2012

Wow he responded to the governor's request. Was a response needed or could he immediately do the same thing the very same day. I and millions saw the devastation almost immediately? Same with the other states. That was very presidential of him. Our military, not the state national guard are sent to other countries, with equipment and transport copters, as fast as letters of apology!

[nonethewyzzer]

03:50 PM on 03/11/2012

Actually, no he couldn't. Look at the FEMA website. It clearly states that FEMA doesn't step in until the governor of the state affected requests it.

[Iya Sapa Mato]

07:08 PM on 03/11/2012

nonethewyzzer It would still have taken days if he requested it the same day! Others outside this country hear from the orator of oracles, when any desaster strikes. He could have expressed something to the effect that all available assistance and resources would be forth coming and some encouragement but that would not benefit a lot toward any campaigning. Maybe a fly over later!

[themotorjunkie]

12:27 PM on 03/11/2012

First of, Obama wasnt offerring aid. he simply responded to the request by Governor Daniels and stated that those people are eligable for fedral assistance. This assistance is not something that the president if free to offer or withold as they please. It is provided for in the federal budget, and there are procedures in place to extend it where needed. So get off O's back, he is doing what he is supposed to be doing.

[Iya Sapa Mato]

01:54 PM on 03/11/2012

Okay like there was a question of eligability? Any American that has a TV saw the devastation immediately and the numbers of dead. There are funds set aside and available from the government and Fema without 'Let me check the budget first'. Thank God for The Red Cross, local first responders and volunteers not the President, who may have been at a campaign fund raiser. Wake up! It is as you put in "O' who is on our backs, not the other way around! He is not heavy he is our President!

[themotorjunkie]

03:38 PM on 03/11/2012

No queston at all, just mere formalities. the governor has to request, the president has to approve. and you are making my point for me. The Federal government is NOT set up to be a first responder, and thats why private entities like the red cross will always be on scene first. Government assistance always comes as follow on support.

[rhartodge]

04:59 PM on 03/12/2012

WE will stay onhis back YOUR words UNTIL he is GONE!! He is hated everywhere 1

[thinkup70]

12:26 PM on 03/11/2012

Can anyone comprehend the fact that a "letter" was sent? What century is this anyway? Maybe all the foreign countries have to do is ring a bell a couple of times and the money comes instantanously.

[ursasr]

06:52 PM on 03/11/2012

STATES RIGHTS.

[CASnyder]

04:08 AM on 03/12/2012

It probably went out simultaneously as e-mail & snail mail, which is what most businesses do with legally binding docs. That way you can get started doing the work when you receive the e-mail, but have the legal doc for your records a few days later.

[86-44]

12:18 PM on 03/11/2012

Liberals being ridiculous once again by trying to say republicans are against disaster relief. It is not true. Republicans simply want to know how it is going to be paid for nothing more.. Amazing that liberals omit certain pertinent facts isn't it?

[dumocraps]

01:11 PM on 03/11/2012

Right out of their playbook

[HowthCastle]

02:33 PM on 03/11/2012

I guess there's no such person as Ron Paul. He's only a myth.

[aztrukin]

03:16 PM on 03/11/2012

If it were up to him, the State would take care of it and more importantly they would have the dollars to do it instead of sending it to Washington to be filtered and a small pittance returned. So actually, he has a good point.