Rep. Carolyn B. Jackson urges governor to aid Region as it suffers costs of flood damage
INDIANAPOLIS – Yesterday, State Rep. Carolyn B. Jackson (D-Hammond) sent a letter to Governor Holcomb, urging him to provide aid to Hammond and Whiting residents, who have experienced drastic flooding in the past few days.
On Saturday, May 23, severe thunderstorms caused flooding in the homes of many Region residents. This has resulted in broken hot water tanks and furnaces, sewage in basements and water damage to vehicles.
“Right now, Hammond and Whiting are facing two urgent crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the serious repercussions of recent flooding,” Jackson said. “The Region needs help, and I am seeking the Governor's swift assistance in this matter. With an increase in unemployment due to COVID-19, these constituents can’t afford to fix the sudden damage that has been done to their homes. Assistance from the state would go a long way in easing the minds of these devastated Hoosiers.”
The text of the letter is pasted below:
May 26, 2020
The Honorable Eric Holcomb
Governor, The State of Indiana
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Dear Governor Holcomb:
On Saturday, May 23, 2020, here in Hammond and Whiting we had severe thunderstorms and flooding all over the Region. The rain and hailstorm lasted approximately 15 minutes and left several inches of water. Our state-of-the-art sanitary plant is designed for 50 million gallons of water per hour and we have a retaining pond that holds 300 million gallons of water. We, however, received close to 2 billion gallons of water in that 15-minute period.
This storm resulted in many homes getting rainwater and sewage in their basements, along with streets flooding and in some cases vehicles receiving water damage. Many homeowners are elderly and have no electricity and gas. Some will have to replace hot water tanks, furnaces and additional essential items. The local hardware stores are sold out of hot water tanks and many other needed products. Furthermore, insurance companies will not cover damages unless homeowners have sewer insurance or flood insurance.
The costs of this storm damage are occurring as many are still affected by loss of wages due to the COVID-19. Furthermore, unemployment wages are extremely slow at this time and in some instances nonexistent.
What resources can be given to assist those individual homeowners who are suffering now? What assistance can be given to the City of Hammond to increase the capacity of the sanitary plant? This plant serves other surrounding cities – not just Hammond.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please respond as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Carolyn B. Jackson
State Representative
Indiana House District 1