Republican Leader, Brian C. Bosma, Indiana House of Representatives

Hoosiers Have Another Resource to Aid Disaster Recovery

Hoosiers working to recover from the series of storms that hammered and flooded much of Indiana this spring have a new resource for help — the Office of Disaster Recovery.

The office was created to direct Indiana’s clean-up and rebuilding efforts. Gov. Mitch Daniels assigned Andy Miller, director of the state Department of Agriculture, to manage the office.

Deadlines for individual and public assistance are approaching.

• Aug. 11 is the deadline for filing loan applications with the Small Business Administration. Many people were referred to the SBA by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. People need not own a business to apply for an SBA loan.



• July 21 is the deadline for filing for public assistance for people in the first 26 counties approved for that category of assistance.

The Office of Disaster Recovery will represent the governor in coordinating the storm-relief efforts of state and federal agencies as well as other public and private entities and local governments. The office’s efforts will include plans and policies for:

• Obtaining the maximum amount of federal funds for recovery and rebuilding efforts by individuals, businesses, state agencies and local units of government.



• Exercising the necessary operational authority in recovery effort decisions on behalf of the state.



• Providing technical assistance, education and outreach to local governments and private organizations working on recovery efforts at the community level.



• Developing a final report to the governor on the response and recovery efforts including recommendations for the future based on lessons learned during this experience.

There is no fixed timeframe for the operations of the office, according to the governor’s office.

After the storms hit in May and June, the state created several one-stop assistance centers in the hardest-hot areas. The centers provided storm victims with easy and convenient access to state services such as the Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Workforce Development, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and others. House Republicans representing storm-damaged areas joined the efforts to quickly get information and aid to Hoosiers in need.

The Department of Disaster Recovery’s Web site: www.in.gov/gov/odr.htm.