Carmel fire chief reports 54 residences, 13 businesses damaged after April 7 storms

Carmel Fire Chief Joel Thacker reported to the Carmel Common Council on Monday that emergency responders visited 54 residences and 13 businesses after storms that struck the city on April 7.

Thacker, Joel Thacker, fire chief for the City of Carmel, told the council: "We had 54 residences, that we visited that were impacted. 5 of those were major damage, 22 minor and 27 affected." He added that among businesses assessed there were "13 businesses. 6 of those, with major impact, 7 with minor and 1 affected."

The update said the city's emergency operations center (EOC) had been activated and later reduced to a level 3 monitoring posture. Thacker said the EOC at its peak included "over 18, individuals representing all different departments within the city" and that the street department, police and fire had been heavily involved in response and recovery efforts.

Why it matters: those damage counts will determine whether the city meets thresholds for state or federal aid and will shape short-term relief and longer-term recovery planning. Thacker told the council that the city is coordinating damage assessments with Hamilton County Emergency Management and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and that the data will inform any future requests for assistance.

Supporting details: Thacker said most affected residences were being cared for through insurance, family or temporary lodging: "A couple of the residents of the major damage, . . . their insurance company's put them up in a hotel or they're with family and friends." He also said two of the 13 businesses he knew of were not operating at the time of his briefing. When asked what businesses were closed, Thacker said, "2 out of the 13." Councilors asked for those names to be shared privately so the council could explore assistance.

The council and staff emphasized there are no dollar amounts available yet for recovery costs. Thacker said the city had received donated equipment and that street crews and mutual-aid crews from Whitestown, Westfield and Noblesville had been assisting with debris removal. Street Commissioner Matt Higginbotham reported earlier that crews had hauled multiple loads of tree and storm debris.

The chief cautioned that the city is not yet near numbers that would trigger a federal declaration: "You know, we're not close to numbers for federal declaration and we're really, still short of any type of small business administration assistance." He said city staff will continue to monitor possible gaps between insurance coverage and needs for residents and businesses.

Ending: Council members asked staff to continue outreach to impacted residents, especially the elderly and people on fixed incomes, and to track in-kind and direct city support so the council could review the scope of city assistance in coming weeks.