Indiana Congressional Delegation Urges President Trump to Approve June Storm Disaster Declaration
The Indiana congressional delegation, including U.S. Representative Rudy Yakym, sent a letter to President Trump on Monday, August 17, urging him to approve Governor Mike Braun's request for a major disaster declaration for severe storms that impacted Indiana from June 6-26, 2026. The delegation highlighted that this period saw at least 58 tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, straight-line winds, a derecho, and flash flooding, marking it as the largest one-month tornadic outbreak in Indiana's weather history. The storms resulted in two deaths, 12 injuries, power outages for over 185,000 residents, and the displacement of at least 210 individuals, with 1,213 residential structures destroyed or damaged. Thirty-two counties issued local disaster emergency declarations. The delegation also requested approval for future major disaster declarations related to ongoing August storms, emphasizing that the damage from both events exceeds the state and local capacity to manage. 
