Indiana officials said up to eight counties might participate in a federal buyout program for properties damaged during the storms that flooded the state in June.
Residents who live in areas that qualify can sell their properties to the respective city or county, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would pay 75% of the costs. Under the plan the local government then agrees to demolish the property and leave the land undeveloped. Thousands of properties across Iowa and Illinois were bought out in similar programs after the floods of 1993.
Meanwhile, Columbus Regional Hospital, one of the hardest-hit health care facilities in the state, this week opened an interim emergency room in its original facility for the first time since floods closed the building in mid-June. The move marks the first step toward reopening the hospital, which suffered up to $180 million in damage from the storms. The hospital could be up and running by October, according to local reports.
