Hamilton County homeowners and renters who lost property in this month’s record flooding can now apply for federal disaster aid.

President Donald Trump approved Gov. Mike Braun’s request for a major disaster declaration, Braun’s office announced Tuesday. Hamilton County was included on both lists that matter locally: the 21 counties approved for individual assistance, which sends money directly to households, and the 11 counties approved for public assistance, which reimburses local governments and eligible nonprofits.

How to apply

Residents should file an insurance claim first. FEMA cannot duplicate what insurance pays, but it can help cover uninsured or underinsured losses.

Applications are taken three ways:

• Online at disasterassistance.gov
• By phone at 800-621-3362
• Through the FEMA mobile app

Applicants will need a Social Security number, insurance information, a description of the damage, current contact information and banking information for direct deposit.

FEMA had not announced a registration deadline as of Tuesday. The agency typically sets a 60-day window from the date of declaration, so residents should not wait.

That last point carries extra weight in Hamilton County. Standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and many of the homes that took on water this month sit outside mapped floodplains, meaning their owners had no reason to carry a separate flood policy. For those households, federal aid may be the only assistance available.

What individual assistance covers

The program can help with temporary housing, home repairs, replacement of essential personal property and other disaster-related needs not met by insurance. It is not a substitute for full reconstruction, and grant amounts vary by household. FEMA also refers applicants to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses.

Residents who have not yet documented their losses should photograph damage before making permanent repairs and keep every receipt.

What public assistance covers

Public assistance reimburses cities, the county, townships, school corporations and eligible nonprofits for debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to damaged public facilities. In practical terms, that covers the cost of the closed roads, washed-out trails and damaged parks that Fishers, Noblesville and Carmel have been working through since mid-August.

The local damage

The White River crested at 24.56 feet at Noblesville on Aug. 15, breaking a record that had stood for 113 years.

Damage assessment teams went door to door across Hamilton County the following week. Their early counts: roughly 552 residential units affected in Noblesville, concentrated in Riverwood, the southwest quadrant of downtown and near Federal Hill Commons; about 230 properties in Carmel, where 40 residents were relocated, including 14 from a senior living facility; and in Fishers, swift-water rescues and more than 160 families who accepted voluntary evacuation help.

Statewide, Braun’s request reported eight deaths, at least 44 structures destroyed and 959 with major damage. Early estimates put residential property damage between $550 million and more than $5 billion across at least 22,164 parcels — a figure the governor warned will grow.

Other help still available

The Indiana State Disaster Relief Fund remains open for uninsured damage to primary residences. Indiana 211 (call 211 or 866-211-9966) connects residents to local resources. Fishers residents can reach the city’s recovery hotline at 317-595-3211 or submit a request at FishersIN.gov/Flooding.

Counties left off Tuesday’s list could still be added as officials review more damage, according to the governor’s office.