Federal Agents Assess Kentucky, Indiana Damage This Week

Gov. Mitch Daniels says there is enough local support being offered to Indiana storm victims, and the state is now in the process of assessing the damage to apply for federal assistance.Daniels was joined by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear Monday in addressing the tornado damage in their states. Besehar said he is confident Kentucky meets the $5.8 million of damage needed for federal assistance, but the formal process for both states is taking place this week.On Tuesday, FEMA agents are joining state officials in conducting Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments. The counties being covered in Indiana are Clark, Ripley, Washington, Jefferson and Scott, according to a statement from Indiana's joint information center.Daniels said although several areas damaged in Indiana were smaller cities, he still expects to meet the federal qualifications.“We too believe we’ll probably exceed the thresholds, but it’s a little soon to know. The communities that were hit in our case, Henryville being I guess the exception, were relatively small but to us that just makes the loss more tragic,' Daniels said.The numbers of Indiana residents affected by the storms are in the low hundreds but it’s too early to assess the full damage, he said.“We’re down to a small number of homes still without power, almost nobody needs shelter although we have plenty of it available, more food than we’ve needed so far...so it’s a matter of beginning the rebuilding process, make certain that those who have insurance have it honored quickly, he said.