Bush approves Indiana disaster declaration

INDIANAPOLIS -- Federal help is on the way for victims of a trio of tornadoes that left a 180-mile swath of destruction, destroying nearly 500 homes and damaging another 2,500 across southern and central Indiana.\nOn Wednesday, President Bush gave fast-track approval to a disaster declaration for 32 counties hit by Friday's twisters and accompanying storm.\nThe government's OK immediately frees up aid including grants, low-interest loans, emergency housing, crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment aid and other assistance.\nBusinesses also can get loans, and local governments can receive reimbursement for debris removal, infrastructure damage and other costs.\nRequests for help are normally granted only after damage assessments are completed. The state received an expedited review because of the widespread damage.\nIndiana's two U.S. senators got word of the approval in phone calls from Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Allbaugh less than a day after the request came in a letter to President Bush.\n"As a former governor, he recognized the dire needs of the hundreds of victims who could not wait for the normal damage-assessment process to run its course," Gov. Frank O'Bannon said.\nAs it turned out, federal, state and local officials finished the damage assessment Wednesday afternoon just as the aid request was granted.\nDamage was far wider than preliminary surveys indicated, with 485 dwellings destroyed -- 193 homes, 46 mobile homes and 246 apartment units.\nThe number of dwellings with varying degrees of damage was 2,542, or more than five times the number destroyed.\nOfficials did not figure in damage to commercial structures or estimate the overall financial loss, said Alden Taylor, a spokesman for the State Emergency Management Agency.\nDamage was greatest in Marion County -- the most populated of Indiana's 92 counties -- where 317 dwellings were destroyed. Of those, 220 were apartments, with 1,382 dwellings damaged.\nNext in line was Morgan County, with 99 dwellings destroyed, followed by Madison (25), Monroe (22), Knox (20), Posey (19) and Delaware (1).\nThose counties, along with Hancock, Johnson and Rush counties, were listed in the state's disaster aid request as sustaining major damage. Twenty-two adjoining counties with lesser damage also were included.\nDamage surveys are continuing in other areas, and additional assistance and counties may be added after the assessments are completed.\nThe violent weather was blamed for no fatalities or serious injuries, and there was no official toll of minor injuries. However, about 100 people suffered minor injuries in the Indianapolis area, with other communities reporting lower numbers, the Red Cross said.\nThe most severe of Friday's three tornadoes had winds of 158 to 206 mph. The twister followed a path of 112 miles from Ellettsville to Hartford City -- the longest a tornado has taken in Indiana since a 121-mile-long twister in 1974. Friday's other tornadoes were in Knox and Posey counties.\nThe storm, accompanied by up to 5 inches of rain, left a 180-mile trail of damage from the state's southwestern corner in Posey County to Jay County in east-central Indiana.\nThe system was the most severe in Indiana since 37 tornadoes hit the state on June 3, 1990, killing nine.\nIndividuals and businesses wishing to apply for aid can call a toll-free Federal Emergency Management Agency phone number: 800-621-3362 (800-621-FEMA) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech-impaired. The numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, until further notice.