Emergency officials, state agency representatives, and disaster relief partners gathered before a packed room of flood victims to outline the long-term recovery roadmap following catastrophic flooding across the region.

Amid updates on temporary housing vouchers, muckout crews, and state grant applications, local and state leaders delivered one urgent directive to homeowners: do not rush into demolishing flood-damaged homes.

Addressing widespread confusion surrounding early damage assessments, Fayette County Emergency Management Director Wade Walling, state recovery officials with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and Indiana VOAD Chair Jane Crady outlined the steps residents must take to preserve their property rights and maximize potential federal disaster assistance.

Damage Assessment vs. Individual Inspections

A primary point of tension during the community briefing centered on confusion over property sweeps and whether federal inspectors had already evaluated damaged homes.

State recovery officials from IDHS clarified that while state personnel, local emergency management, and FEMA representatives drove through neighborhoods to conduct joint preliminary damage assessments, those sweeps were strictly high-level counts to build the case for a federal declaration, not individual home inspections, condemnation notices, or demolition permits.

“FEMA inspectors have not been here. FEMA assistance for individuals is not available yet,” state recovery officials confirmed during the meeting. “All we did was identify how many homes met the federal criteria for us to put in our declaration letter to show the need for federal assistance. We have done preliminary damage assessments. That is not an inspection of your home. That is not any reason to identify anything other than that there has been damage in your community.”

Jane Crady, disaster response coordinator for Catholic Charities and chair of Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, strongly advised property owners to halt full teardowns until formal insurance and engineering assessments take place.

“My recommendation, after twenty years of doing this across Indiana and the country: do not let them demo your home until everybody has their eyes on it,” Crady said. “If the inspectors can look at the damage themselves, they can give an accurate assessment. If you tear it down beforehand, you risk losing out on the documentation needed to prove the full value of your loss.”

Crady noted that while federal Individual Assistance legally caps out at 43,000 dollars per household, historical averages often trend much lower without clear physical verification of structural failure.

EMA Director Wade Walling emphasized that property owners should focus on gutting ruined interior materials rather than leveling whole structures.

“When our search and rescue teams went out, they categorized houses as minor, affected, major, or destroyed to tell FEMA where to look closely,” Walling said. “There has to be local ordinances, structural engineers, and health code officials involved before any building is officially condemned. Get the wet drywall and carpet out to stop the mold, but keep the framing and foundation standing.”

Federal Declaration and State Grant Applications

State officials confirmed that Indiana submitted an expedited request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration on August 20, specifically asking for Individual Assistance to support homeowners and renters.

“Usually, declarations of this nature take anywhere from thirty to sixty days to submit. We were able to submit ours within days,” state representatives stated. “While we wait on federal approval, the State Disaster Relief Fund is open right now through the IDHS Resource Hub for up to 5,000 dollars per household.”

State agency representatives also addressed technical glitches on state registration portals, explaining that automatic confirmation emails were temporarily paused due to heavy server traffic, but submitted applications remain secure in the state database.

Officials also highlighted a crucial consumer protection: the Indiana Department of Insurance has enacted a sixty day moratorium on the cancellation of insurance policies for affected property owners, retroactive to August 11.

Long-Term Case Management and Volunteer Support

Crady announced the formation of a local Long-Term Recovery Committee to coordinate volunteer labor, unmet financial needs, and home rebuilding over what is expected to be a multi-year recovery effort.

“The voluntary organizations active in disaster bring in resources that can triple or quadruple what FEMA provides,” Crady said. “We will be assigning one dedicated disaster case manager per household. That case manager will walk with you until you are either back in your home or safely relocated. Keep every single receipt for food, lodging, materials, and equipment, because every grant we distribute requires verified documentation.”

Volunteer and relief agencies on site reported immediate support operations:

Team Rubicon Incident Commander John Baker stated that veteran-led volunteer crews are active throughout the area providing free muckouts, gutting waterlogged drywall and flooring, and clearing downed trees. Residents can reach Team Rubicon at 469-585-9054.

Local coordinator Maleiah Johnson reported mobilizing nearly 1,400 volunteers and coordinating heavy equipment, including ten skid steers, six excavators, and dump trailers, along with distributing 109 pallets of relief supplies. Those needing volunteer or equipment assistance can contact 765-407-0914.

American Red Cross Southeast Indiana Coordinator Maria Carrasquillo confirmed active regional shelters remain operational at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, Richmond, and Franklin, with ongoing cleanup kit distribution stationed at Expo Hall. Residents can reach the Red Cross 24 hours a day at 1-800-733-2767.

Public Health and Water Safety

The Fayette County Health Department urged residents working inside flood-damaged structures to take health precautions.

Free tetanus vaccinations, N95 masks, heavy gloves, and basic wound care supplies are available on the lower level of the courthouse.

Private well test kits are available at the Health Department for a ten dollar processing fee through HML Laboratories to test for bacteria before wells are put back into service.

Health officials also warned that any food exposed to floodwater, including screw-top jars, capped bottles, and canned goods, must be discarded due to contamination trapped in container seals.

Disaster Recovery Resource Directory

Residents seeking immediate intake registration, hotel vouchers, and rental deposit assistance can call 211 or visit indiana211.org.

Applications for the State Disaster Relief Fund can be submitted directly on the IDHS Resource Hub at in.gov/dhs.

The Fayette County Health Department can be reached at 765-825-4013 on the lower level of the courthouse.

Emergency management updates and verified recovery bulletins will continue to be released through official county channels.

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