CITY OF HAMMOND, INDIANA DECLARATION OF A LOCAL DISASTER EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the City of Hammond along with many communities in Northwest Indiana experienced a storm system that had sustained winds of over 100 miles per hour and included heavy rainfall causing substantial and devastating damage within the City; and
WHEREAS, this severe weather caused damage to public infrastructure and facilities resulting in conditions requiring emergency response, recovery efforts, and the expenditure of city resources; and
WHEREAS, the city is continuing to assess the extent of damage to public property and infrastructure and the costs associated with emergency response, debris removal, repair, restoration, and recovery; and
WHEREAS, many of the city’s residents have been impacted through loss of power and/or damage to their personal and/or real property and that NIPSCO has reported over 22,000 locations in the City of Hammond have been without power since the storm; and
WHEREAS, the amount of damage meets or exceeds the Indiana Department of Homeland Security guidelines related to Indiana State Disaster Relief Funding; and
WHEREAS, Indiana Code § 10-14-3-29 authorizes the principal executive officer of a political subdivision to declare a local disaster emergency; and
WHEREAS, the nature and extent of the damage caused by the severe storm incident of August 11, 2026 warrants the declaration of a local disaster emergency and may require assistance from Lake County, the State of Indiana, the federal government, or other governmental entities;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., Mayor of the City of Hammond, Indiana, as the principal executive officer of the city and pursuant to the authority granted by Indiana Code § 10-14-3-29 and other applicable law, hereby declare that a LOCAL DISASTER EMERGENCY exists within the City of Hammond as a result of the severe storms and resulting damage occurring on or about August 11, 2026.
This declaration activates the response and recovery aspects of all applicable local and interjurisdictional disaster emergency plans and authorizes the furnishing of aid and assistance in accordance with those plans.
City departments and officials are directed to take all appropriate actions necessary to respond to and recover from the disaster, document damages and disaster-related expenditures, protect public property and infrastructure, and coordinate with Lake County, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other appropriate governmental agencies concerning available disaster assistance as requested and required.
This Declaration shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for a period not exceeding seven (7) days unless continued or renewed in accordance with Indiana Code § 10-14-3-29.
This Declaration shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the Clerk of the City of Hammond, as required by Indiana Code § 10-14-3-29.
DECLARED this 13 day of August, 2026.
Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., Mayor
City of Hammond, Indiana