FEMA Approves Emergency Declaration for Indiana — Blackford County Not Included

President Donald Trump approved a FEMA Emergency Disaster Declaration for Indiana on Saturday, August 15, covering severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began August 11. Blackford County is not on the initial list of 52 designated counties.

The declaration makes emergency protective measures available at 75 percent federal funding for the designated counties. Darrin Ricketts has been named Federal Coordinating Officer. Neighboring counties including Jay, Grant, Wabash, and Delaware all received designation — but Blackford did not, despite documented road flooding and barricade deployment during the same storm system.

The declaration states that additional counties may be designated "at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments." For Blackford County to be added, local officials must submit formal damage documentation to the state.

Blackford County commissioners meet Monday, August 17, where requesting inclusion in the federal declaration is expected to be a top agenda item. Without designation, Blackford County residents and local government cannot access federal emergency assistance that neighboring communities are already eligible to receive.

Source: CBS Chicago (cbsnews.com/chicago), Rep. Victoria Spartz press release (spartz.house.gov), GIANT FM (giant.fm), The Watchers (watchers.news)