Dear Friend,

Like most Hoosiers, recently, my focus and attention has been on the individuals, businesses, and communities affected by the devastating storms that struck central Indiana over the weekend. The Sunday after the storms hit, I toured the disaster area and met with local emergency management personnel and other officials to assess the damage and talk about plans for the recovery process. I also met with Governor Mitch Daniels and pledged my support to help secure the critical federal funding and support necessary to begin rebuilding our communities.

I am pleased to see some progress on that front. President Bush has declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to assist in recovery efforts. Federal assistance is now available for homeowners, renters and businesses in numerous Indiana counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and businesses recover. Individuals in the following counties are eligible for assistance: Adams, Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Parke, Putnam, Owen, Randolf, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo and Wayne. Damage assessments for other counties are continuing, and more counties are expected to be approved for assistance in the near future.

As businesses and communities assess the damage and start the recovery process, I want to do my part to help. So I have added a new Disaster Recovery Resources page to the 8th District Online Office (www.ellsworth.house.gov). The page is designed to provide you with the information and resources you need to begin the rebuilding process. It will be updated regularly as more information becomes available, so please check back often.

In addition, my office continues to reach out to state and local officials and emergency management personnel to assist in any way we can. We owe a great deal of thanks to our emergency management personnel and the U.S. Coast Guard. Their professionalism, without a doubt, helped to prevent even more devastation left behind by this powerful storm. And I will continue to work to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to keep Hoosiers and their property safe going forward.

There’s no question, we face tough challenges ahead. The road to recovery will be long and difficult, but I am confident that, working together, we can come back stronger than ever.

Sincerely,

Brad Ellsworth