Aid Unlikely for Indiana Town Due to Low Uninsured Damage

December 23, 2013

State officials say it’s unlikely that the Lafayette, Ind., area will receive any federal assistance in recovering from damage caused by last month’s severe storms.

Authorities have compiled nearly 300 reports of damage around Tippecanoe County from the Nov. 17 storms that slammed the state with about two dozen tornadoes.

District 4 financial section chief Laurie Wilson tells the Journal & Courier that federal disaster relief applies to only uninsured damage. She says the local uninsured damage is well below the federal threshold.

State officials are appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to deny an assistance request for Howard County. About 1,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the Kokomo area.