Indiana has opened grants for emergency food, clothing, temporary housing and other basic needs to victims of severe storm and flooding damage, Gov. Mike Braun announced Aug. 17.

At least 1,000 residents have been displaced statewide, Indiana Department of Homeland Security Executive Director Jonathan Whitham estimated, with at least seven dead as of Monday.

“Any Hoosier, please reach out to 211 to report your needs,” Braun said of the non-emergency line, during a news conference in the State Emergency Operations Center in downtown Indianapolis.

He said Indiana has bulked up staffing for 211 to meet demand.

“We’re tracking your needs, and we will get you resources,” Braun said. “We want displaced Hoosiers to have a hot meal, comfortable bed and get into air conditioning.”

The State Disaster Relief Fund is providing emergency aid grants of up to $5,000 — accessible by calling 211 or going online — for food, clothing and other basics to those displaced from their homes.

“The application process opened up as we were walking in here,” Whitham said.

He advised Hoosiers to take pictures, videos and any other documentation of damage or work that they’ve already done to their homes.

For those in need of emergency shelters, the American Red Cross has sites throughout Central and Northwest Indiana.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority is also providing temporary housing grants via 211 to help displaced people transition out of such shelters into hotels, apartments and other accommodations.

Braun additionally activated emergency benefit replacements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients who lost food in the destruction or due to power outages.

Affected Hoosiers will need to submit an affidavit for replacement benefits within 10 days of the event, and the food loss must be verified. The document can be uploaded to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s benefits portal, faxed to 888-436-9199 or dropped off at any Division of Family Resources office.

The Indiana Department of Insurance is working with the Office of the Attorney General to help Hoosiers understand insurance coverage, determine next steps for uninsured losses and protect themselves from disaster-related scams. Consumer complaints can be filed with the Attorney General’s Office at indianaconsumer.com.

First responders, federal aid

All of Indiana’s public safety agencies are deployed on emergency response missions under the governor’s orders, including the Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, Department of Correction and Department of Natural Resources.

Meanwhile, Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel are helping the state’s Department of Homeland Security conduct wind damage assessments in Northwest Indiana.

“As water recedes, we will be able to get into additional counties and continue those assessments,” Braun said. “For flooding across central and east-central Indiana, operations remain in the response phase, though some areas are transitioning into recovery.”

The state is working to collect the information needed to request a major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump. That is expected to be submitted within the next 24 to 48 hours.

“We’ll know more in seven to 10 days after the full property damage is assessed,” Braun said. “This kind of assistance from FEMA is not offered very often, and if FEMA determines this disaster meets the threshold, it releases funds for underinsured and uninsured individuals.”

A major disaster proclamation recognizes when a natural event has caused destruction beyond what a state and local governments can handle, according to FEMA’s website. The request must include an estimate of the amount and severity of damage, estimates of the assistance required and more.

That’s in contrast to the emergency declaration Trump approved Aug. 15 for Indiana, which is intended to supplement state and local response efforts in 53 listed counties.

That will help cover some state and local response costs, like for evacuations, shelters, water rescues and more. But federal assistance is capped at $5 million.

The emergency declaration came hours after Trump and Braun spoke over the phone, and just a day after the governor’s Aug. 14 request.

Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Aug. 13.

Major storms have battered Indiana this summer — depleting the state’s relief fund to just $2 million, according to the state Department of Homeland Security.

“Right now, it’s low because we’ve had so many disaster events,” Whitham said. “The June events took up a lot of that funding because we provided support to Hoosiers for the multiple disasters that came through the state.”

Braun said he and legislative leaders could tap reserves to direct more money to the fund.

He assured reporters that the state isn’t running dry on help.

“We’re all in close communication, and the key thing is we’ve got resources,” Braun said. “Many people would be scrambling in states where they didn’t. We’ll have enough to get through this.”

Even if the major disaster declaration bid is rejected, he said, “We’re, again, in a good place. And that’s when your legislative leaders, myself, our agencies will take care of that.”

This story originally was published by Indiana Capital Chronicle, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence.