Debris surrounds a damaged Taco Bell restaurant in Nappanee, Ind., Friday, Oct. 19, 2007, after a tornado hit the town the day before. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Nappanee. (AP Photo/The Truth, Fred Flury)
Story Created:
Nov 22, 2007 at 12:53 PM EST
Story Updated:
Nov 22, 2007 at 12:53 PM EST
NAPPANEE, Ind. (AP) — Officials say they won't give up trying to get federal assistance to help rebuild hundreds of homes and more than 100 businesses damaged by a tornado.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down Nappanee's request for disaster assistance Wednesday, more than a month after an Oct. 18 tornado destroyed 51 homes in the northern Indiana city of fewer than 7,000 people. FEMA said damage to the private sector wasn't severe enough to warrant a major disaster declaration and assistance.
"We are going to do whatever we have to do to get some assistance to Nappanee, said Jennifer Tobey, Elkhart County emergency management director. "We're not giving up. It's not a one-shot deal."
FEMA's rejection drew a sharp response from U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., who toured the area Tuesday.
"If a small percentage of a big California city is damaged, they will be covered, but if small-town America gets hammered, we will be ignored," Souder said in a press release.
City, county and state officials said they planned to appeal FEMA's decision.
"We are committed to seeking additional measures to provide needed support," said J. Eric Dietz, director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. He said the state agency would express its frustration to FEMA.
Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson said the city will look for damages that were not reported and make sure the FEMA application is complete. Officials also will work on a separate application for loan assistance through the Small Business Administration, he said.
Meanwhile, more than $200,000 has been raised to help victims, Thompson said.
"At the end of the day, we're going to win this. If we have to show the whole world we can do it without FEMA by ourselves, we're going to do it," he said.
A total of 137 homes had major damage and 201 had minor damage from the storm. A total of 107 businesses sustained damage, including three recreational vehicle plants that are among Nappanee's largest employers.
Thompson said the city was fortunate that no one was killed or critically injured.
"I'm just glad people are having Thanksgiving in their homes and not in hospital rooms and visiting cemeteries. We're still pretty fortunate," he said.
