State of Emergency Issued for So. IN But Vanderburgh County Isn’t Included

Devastating severe weather has swept through the Tristate with tornadoes and heavy rain leaving downed trees and powerlines, and historic flooding across portions of Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky.

Kentucky Placed Under State of Emergency Last Week

Across the swollen Ohio River, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear preemtively placed the Commonwealth under a State of Emergency on April 2, 2025, in anticipation of the severe weather that was predicted and did in fact impact communities across the state, including Henderson County.

READ MORE: Henderson Man Captures Drone Photos of Kentucky Flood

April 2, 2025 Storms Left a Path of Distruction Across Indiana and Kentucky

The line of storms that moved across the midwest, including Southern Indiana on April 2, 2025 left fields, roads, and entire communities under water. After seeing the work Andy Beshears was doing for his constituents in Kentucky, many Hoosiers were beginning to wonder if our own Governor, Mike Braun had even noticed that we were impacted.

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21 Torndadoes - Including 3 in Vanderburgh County - Swept Through Indiana

It's been one week since a line of storms producing more than 130 confirmed tornadoes moved through the midwest and south. Twenty-one of those were in Indiana and three confirmed in Vanderburgh County before crossing over into Warrick. County. Governor Mike Braun finally issued a State of Emergency today for 18 Southern Indiana counties... but his declaration has left many constituents scratching their heads.

Vanderburgh County Omitted From Governor Braun's State of Emergency

For some reason, Vanderbugh County was omitted from the counties covered under the State of Emergency, despite incredibly flooding that has resulted in the loss of property to many and has even resulted in a number of water rescues in the area as well. All of the neighboring counties are included: Warrick, Gibson, and Posey, but Vanderburgh did not make the cut.

A State of Emergency is issued by the Governor for their state during times of disaster, public health emergency, civil unrest, and other emergencies. In order for a state to receive government funding from resources like FEMA, as well as state funds from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, during a natural disaster - like the extreme flooding we've seen across Southern Indiana, including Evansville and Vanderburgh County - they must first issue a State of Emergency.

Why Did Governor Braun Omit Vanderburgh County?

By leaving Vanderburgh County off the list, it suggests that Governor Braun doesn't feel the residents here need the same emergency resources as our surrounding counties even though many areas are under water or have sustained damage from tornadoes and heavy winds. Many residents are upset by the ommission and have expressed their dissent on the Governor Braun's Facebook page.

We're Waiting to Hear Back from the Governor's Office

We have reached out to the Governor's office, but have not heard back at the time of writing. You can see photos of the flooding across Vanderburgh County in the photos that were shared by the Evansville - Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency earlier this week.

[Source: Governor Mike Braun via Facebook]