INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): Local, state and federal officials will begin conducting joint preliminary damage assessments for public assistance in 18 Indiana counties starting Monday morning. The teams will evaluate damage caused by severe weather and flooding that began April 17. Teams will be in the following counties: Benton, Boone, Clay, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Howard, Knox, Madison, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren. These assessments will determine if the damage warrants a request to President Barack Obama  for federal Public Assistance.
 
Public Assistance
If a disaster declaration for public assistance is granted, state and local governments and certain non-profit organizations in the designated counties would be eligible to apply for federal assistance to pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities.