The Gary Common Council approved a resolution Tuesday night that allows the city to continue receiving disaster assistance following the Aug. 11 derecho.
The resolution approves the continuation of a local disaster emergency related to the storm. According to the city’s website, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton originally declared a local disaster emergency on Aug. 12.
The council approved the resolution in a 7-0 vote. Council members Mary Brown, D-3rd, and Myles Tolliver, D-at large, were both absent Tuesday.
Council President Linda Barnes Caldwell sponsored the resolution, and it was added to the agenda Tuesday. Corporation Counsel Carla Morgan gave an overview of the resolution.
“In order for us to continue being in a state of emergency where we’re eligible for additional resources from the state and federal governments, the council needs to adopt the resolution to continue the disaster declaration,” Morgan said.
The declaration is continuous until local government leaders feel the emergency has ended, Morgan said. The council will not have to pass another resolution to extend the emergency declaration.
Morgan said the city is still working to clean trees and tree limbs from people’s yards and homes.
“There are people who still have trees in their living rooms,” she added. “We have a lot of things that we’re trying to overcome.”
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Before the resolution was passed, council attorney Rinzer Williams told members that they’d need to amend the resolution to make it retroactively apply to dates following Aug. 18. The mayor’s previous declaration expired after one week, he said, and council members amended the resolution before its approval.
City leadership have talked with U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, Morgan said, and they’ve determined it might take months before the city is back to normal.
On Aug. 11, a derecho hit Northwest Indiana and left hundreds of thousands of residents without power. Gary was one of the hardest hit areas, with some residents without power for about two weeks following the storm. At its peak, more than 30,000 Gary residents were without power.
Since then, local, state and federal officials have rallied for relief for the city, including Gov. Mike Braun and FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton visiting the American Red Cross’ emergency shelter at Gary’s Hudson Campbell Sports and Fitness Center on Aug. 31.
President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration through FEMA for Indiana near the end of August, which provides additional resources and assistance, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Melton and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, talked with Trump over the phone before the federal declaration. Once the president approved it, Melton thanked him for his work.
“This declaration means more help for our residents, more resources for our neighborhoods, and more tools to move Gary’s recovery forward,” Melton previously said. “Our city has faced challenges before, and time and time again, the people of Gary have shown their resilience and determination.”