Indiana Governor Mike Braun assessed flooding damage today in Carmel and Noblesville to ensure state resources are available and activated to support local recovery efforts.
News release from Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s office:
Gov. Braun Assesses Flood Damage in Carmel and Noblesville, Takes Additional Action to Help Hoosiers Recover
Noblesville, Indiana (August 20, 2026) — Governor Mike Braun assessed flooding damage today in Carmel with Mayor Sue Finkam and in Noblesville with Mayor Chris Jensen to ensure state resources are available and activated to support local recovery efforts.
Carmel and Noblesville are among the communities impacted by significant flooding as heavy rain caused the White River to rise to historic levels in parts of central Indiana.
“Communities across Indiana have been through an incredibly difficult nine days, including Noblesville and Carmel where flooding has forced families out of their homes and caused significant damage to infrastructure,” said Gov. Braun. “Mayor Jensen, Mayor Finkam, our first responders and local officials have done tremendous work taking care of their communities. My commitment to them and every impacted Hoosier is that the state will continue working alongside them in the weeks and months ahead, deploying the resources they need to recover and rebuild.”
Addressing Power Outages
Power outages have fallen significantly from a peak of more than 300,000 following the storms, though approximately 65,000 customers remained without power Thursday afternoon.
“It’s unacceptable that so many Hoosiers are still without power. Our state agencies, including the Indiana National Guard, Indiana Department of Transportation, Department of Correction, Indiana State Police, and the Department of Natural Resources, are all taking unprecedented action to help NIPSCO turn the lights back on,” said Gov. Braun. “I deeply appreciate the linemen and crews who are putting in the legwork and long hours to address these outages. It’s on NIPSCO management to step up, take this seriously and restore power now.”
State agencies are going beyond the call of duty, providing extraordinary additional resources to clear the path for NIPSCO to restore power.
Since last week, state agencies have provided heavy equipment and crews for route clearance operations alongside NIPSCO crews. Now, these agencies are providing further assistance with brush removal in areas not typically accessed by state agencies. Additionally, Indiana State Police are providing protection at all hours to safeguard utility personnel and expedite the restoration of power to the communities.
“There’s no excuse. We are providing protection and we are clearing the path. Every state agency that can assist with power restoration efforts is on hand and working alongside utility crews to expedite the process,” said Gov. Braun. “It remains priority number one for Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties.”
Additional Relief for Hoosiers
With outages ongoing in parts of northwest Indiana, the Governor has taken additional action to help storm-impacted Hoosiers in Lake and Porter counties, where the majority of outages remain.
Gov. Braun announced this week that he secured an extension allowing eligible Hoosiers in Lake and Porter counties until Aug. 31 to request replacement SNAP benefits for food they lost. This action will help Hoosiers put food on the table until power is restored.
The Governor directed the Indiana Department of Insurance to issue a bulletin calling on insurance companies to implement a 60-day moratorium on the cancellation of insurance policies for policyholders directly affected by the disaster and to suspend penalties for late payments.
“Hoosiers who have just lost their homes, vehicles or belongings shouldn’t have the added worry of unexpectedly losing their insurance coverage while they’re trying to get back on their feet,” said Gov. Braun. “I’m calling on insurance companies to give storm-impacted Hoosiers the flexibility they need to focus on their families and their recovery.”
At Gov. Braun’s direction, state agencies remain engaged in response and recovery operations across Indiana. The Indiana Department of Correction has crews working in northwest Indiana to clear roads and debris, while cleanup efforts are underway in other impacted communities. Indiana Department of Homeland Security personnel continue working with local officials to identify unmet needs and coordinate state resources.
Twenty-two local disaster declarations are currently active across Indiana. Damage assessments also remain underway to document the extent of the storms and determine what additional state and federal assistance will be needed. Indiana 211 has been activated in impacted counties to collect damage reports from Hoosiers.
For more information about how to request replacement SNAP benefits, apply for relief funds or temporary housing, and more, visit Gov. Braun’s disaster recovery page on his website here.
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