Lake County was one of 11 counties declared a site of a disaster emergency Saturday by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in the wake of days of heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding.
Porter and Jasper counties, which have both experienced extensive flooding related to the swollen Kankakee River, were left off of the list. Other counties named include Carroll, Dearborn, Elkhart, Fulton, Marshall, Perry, St. Joseph, Starke, Switzerland and White.
The disaster declaration means the state Department of Homeland Security can take necessary actions to provide expanded emergency services and the state will request financial assistance from the federal government, according to a press release from the governor's office.
"This is an important step in helping Hoosiers around our state who've been hurt by this flooding," Holcomb said. The governor toured Elkhart and St. Joseph counties Friday, learning about the flood damage and local emergency response efforts underway.
Lake County Commissioner Jerry Tippy, R-Schererville, said the announcement is a move toward the next steps necessary for the county to recoup some of the costs related to dealing with the flooding.
"First of all, we appreciate the governor's quick response," Tippy said.
The county could be eligible for federal reimbursement for expenses associated with sandbagging, pumping and employee hours spent dealing with the flood.
"It's the next step in the process, and we will keep moving forward from there," Tippy said.
The Kankakee River has begun to recede, but at 13.08 feet Sunday morning was still above the previous record high of 13.02 feet.
"The water is still very high. There is still a lot of pressure on the banks. We're still out there reinforcing the banks," Tippy said.
Workers are remaining in the area, bagging sand, reinforcing banks and responding to residents who need help with flooding. Saturday the levee protecting the town of Shelby was reinforced after it began to weaken.
"We are just doing our best to not allow something to break," Tippy said.
Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said the county was not included in the designation because it has not yet exceeded the dollar threshold per capita for damage per federal government guidelines.
"We may, however, be able to, at a minimum ... receive some federal aid relative to interest-free loans and other benefits since we are an adjacent county," Blaney said.
If the county exceeds the $604,782 threshold, commissioners will be able to declare a disaster and receive FEMA funding.
"As we continue to assess damages, we will evaluate whether Porter County meets the defined threshold," she said.
The county's EMA and storm water personnel have been in the affected areas daily to monitor the situation.
A levee breach Friday on the south side of the Kankakee River in Jasper County could not be contained and flooded an adjacent subdivision, causing widespread flooding. Porter County also has been dealing with extensive flooding along the river.
The rain began Feb. 15 in the northern part of the state. Record-level rainfall was recorded by Wednesday. By Friday, the Kankakee River at Shelby reached a new record level of 13.27 feet. In Kouts, the river was at 14.41 at 11 a.m. Sunday, just shy of the 14.52 record, and is expected to rise to 14.7 before receding.