State gets $57 million for storm relief

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana communities hit by severe storms and floods last summer will get another $57 million in federal aid to rebuild, Gov. Mitch Daniels said Monday.

The storm aid from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development brings the state’s total to $67 million, on top of $10 million the agency had previously awarded the state.

Daniels said the funding would be used to cover the costs of rebuilding infrastructure and reducing future flood damage.

The governor said he met with HUD officials on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., to ask them to make sure Indiana received a fair share of the congressionally appropriated funds.

“Our efforts to ensure Indiana received our fair share of these critical federal funds was successful,” he said in a statement. “I’m encouraged by how much progress is being made in the recovery effort.”

A series of storms during the summer caused storm and flood damage across the state, particularly in south-central Indiana, where a June deluge dumped up to 11 inches of rain.
The funding will be administered through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Development. Among other things, it will help communities offset the costs of home buyouts and help fund affordable housing.