Abundance of Assistance for Tornado Victims

Tornado victims receive help at the One-Stop Shop held at the Holton Community Building on Wednesday.

Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security

(Holton, Ind.) - More than 60 people took advantage of the State of Indiana’s One-Stop Shop for tornado victims in Holton on Wednesday.

Ripley County Emergency Management says 34 citizens received vaccines, 12 were given new birth certificates, and 20 other spoke with FEMA representatives.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is allowing victims to apply for emergency food stamps. Victims living in specific zip codes in Clark, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott, Warrick, and Washington counties can receive the assistance.

Those zip codes in Ripley County are Osgood 47037 and Holton 47023.

For the disaster food stamps, applicants must provide a driver's license or other picture ID including the address of residence at the time of the disaster, two documents providing proof of identity and residency or documents establishing the applicants home or work address.

The food stamp applications will be accepted Wednesday, March 14 through Monday, March 19, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the One Stop Shop for Tornado Disaster Relief at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg or each county’s FSSA Division of Family Resources office.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program which can help farmers whose property or land was damaged by paying up to 75 percent of the restoration costs.

To apply for the USDA Emergency Conservation Program, farmers should contact their county’s Farm Service Agency office.

The last full day of operations at the Sellersburg one stop shop will be Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Subsequently, FEMA will continue to remain on site daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. until further notice to operate its disaster recovery center with the Small Business Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.

In addition, the Family and Social Services Administration will remain at the site Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to operate the disaster food stamp program. All other state agencies will complete their operations Friday at 8:00 p.m. 

On Wednesday, Indiana's congressional delegation sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to approve Governor Mitch Daniels request for public assistance from FEMA for Clark, Jefferson, Scott, Ripley and Washington counties. 

"These counties in particular need heightened assistance to cover the cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings, and utilities," the delegation's letter said.