Why It Matters
Indiana is facing one of its most destructive storm events in over a century, with Governor Mike Braun formally requesting a major federal disaster declaration from President Trump as damage estimates climb to as high as $5 billion. The outcome will determine whether tens of thousands of Indiana residents and businesses can access federal recovery funds beyond the limited state assistance currently available.
What Happened
Braun signed and submitted the disaster declaration request Thursday night, asking Trump to designate 54 Indiana counties as a major disaster area following a severe weather outbreak that began August 11 and has continued since. The storms produced at least three confirmed tornadoes, extreme straight-line winds, and widespread flash flooding across much of the state.
Wind speeds reached 99 mph near Gary, with gusts of 75 mph recorded across LaPorte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke counties. Many areas received six to nine inches of rain within a 24-hour period, with the highest recorded rainfall total reaching at least 11.23 inches. The White River crested at record levels in both Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing a previous high-water mark that had stood since 1913.
Eight people were killed and three others sustained documented injuries. At least 44 structures were destroyed outright, while 959 others suffered major damage and an additional 520 sustained minor damage. In Marion County alone, local officials estimated as many as 2,000 structures may have been damaged or destroyed. Early assessments covered at least 22,164 parcels across the affected region.
Power outages peaked at 363,398 homes and businesses. Lake County experienced a 95% outage rate, and the communities of Flora and Camden in Carroll County lost electricity entirely. Evacuations were ordered across multiple counties — at least 200 residents in Delaware County, 300 in Henry County, and 400 in Madison County were displaced. At least 63 schools closed or delayed operations, and the Hazel Dell Parkway bridge in Hamilton County collapsed and was washed away.
By the Numbers
- $550 million to $5+ billion: range of estimated residential property damage
- 54: counties included in the major disaster declaration request
- 363,398: peak power outages statewide
- 22,164: parcels assessed in early damage surveys
- $5 million: cap on the earlier, more limited emergency declaration Trump had already approved for 53 counties
- $5,000: maximum state emergency grant available per affected household
Relief Efforts Underway
Nine state agencies have been deployed in response to the disaster. Eighteen emergency shelters were activated, serving hundreds of displaced residents, with 171 American Red Cross responders participating in relief operations. Twenty-two counties had declared local disaster emergencies as of Thursday.
Braun expressed concern about the pace of the federal review process, telling the Indianapolis Capital Chronicle that he hoped approval would come faster than the typical seven to ten days and that the state’s damage figures would meet federal thresholds required for a major declaration.
Zoom Out
The August storms are among the most destructive to hit Indiana in the modern record, with water levels surpassing benchmarks set more than a hundred years ago. Across the country, states have increasingly turned to major federal disaster declarations as the primary mechanism for unlocking large-scale infrastructure and housing recovery funds following extreme weather. The gap between a limited emergency declaration — capped at $5 million in Indiana’s case — and a full major disaster declaration can mean billions of dollars in federal assistance for rebuilding.
Indiana Governor Braun had already declared an energy emergency earlier this year, suspending the state’s gas tax through September in response to separate economic pressures, demonstrating the range of executive tools the state has deployed in 2026.
What’s Next
The Trump administration will now review Indiana’s request, a process that typically takes seven to ten days. If approved, the major disaster declaration would unlock federal individual assistance programs, public infrastructure recovery funds, and other resources that far exceed what the state can provide independently. Local officials and emergency managers across the 54 affected counties are continuing damage assessments as the severe weather event remains ongoing.