CONNERSVILLE, Ind. — Federal assistance will soon be available for some of the more than 1,000 people in Connersville affected by historic flooding that swept through the area two weeks ago.
It was announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Indiana, unlocking federal assistance for flood victims.
Officials with both FEMA and the state of Indiana will set up offices at Connersville Baptist Temple, now serving as a flood relief distribution center, to help those impacted apply for assistance, including temporary housing, home repairs and more, Fayette County Emergency Management Director Wade Walling said.
"Our community, the people that were directly impacted by that flood and were close to the river, they've lost everything. They've lost their IDs, and their, their homes, their clothing." Walling said. "It takes the federal government to step in to help make those people a little more whole, to get a resemblance of their lives back."
WATCH: Two weeks later, cleanup continues on hard-hit Connersville. Now, federal assistance is on the way
Walling said residents who lost identification documents do not need to have them in hand to begin the assistance process as staff will help point them to state resources to recover what they need.
"I honestly believe this is going to be a minimum a two-year recovery," Walling said. "(The declaration) gives people a sense of hope, knowing that there's processes in place to help them."
Among those affected is Dwain Robinson, owner of Whitewater River Campground. It took Robinson decades to build up the 40-acre property and just hours of intense rainfall to wash it all away. When the Whitewater River near Connersville crested at nearly 22 feet two weeks ago, floodwaters swept away more than 100 campers on the property.
"Been in Vietnam, seen bombed out areas, I can't recall any area that looked worse than this did," Robinson said.
Robinson said he has spent the days since cleaning up and has helped droves of volunteers.
"People have come out of the woodwork, and again, I don't know of these people, but yet they come out to help," Robinson said.
Fayette County Deputy EMA Deputy Director Maleiah Ottinger, who also serves as the Indiana state representative volunteer coordinator for the United Cajun Navy, said more than 1,600 volunteers have responded to the disaster, with some coming from as far as Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois.
"It's been nice to see what a community actually means whenever a disaster hits. I wish it was like this all the time," Ottinger said.
Ottinger said the relief effort has now shifted from emergency response to recovery, and the needs at the distribution center are changing along with it.
"A week ago people didn't have anywhere to use the food or to make food, and so we're going to run into (a situation) where our non-perishables are probably going to start going really quick as people are starting to move back into those homes," Ottinger said.
Volunteers are now going house to house to assess individual needs, and requests have shifted from cleaning supplies and debris removal to furniture, flooring, drywall and mattresses.
Ottinger said an estimated 226 homes and more than 1,100 people were affected by the flooding — and the goal is to reach every one of them.
"Everyone is pitching in where they should and helping where they can," Ottinger said.
Those who want to volunteer can contact Ottinger directly by calling or texting 765-407-0914, or reach out to the United Cajun Navy on Facebook. The distribution center at Connersville Baptist Temple is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is entirely volunteer-run.
As recovery efforts continue, Robinson said he hopes his campground can reopen in the months ahead and that his story will be one of triumph, not tragedy.
"Anything that has worked hard in your life to destroy you, rise above that; it can be better," Robinson said.
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