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August 2026 storms · Indiana

Drone Documentation for Storm Claims in Northwest Indiana

For homeowners, contractors, and adjusters with property in Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, Crown Point, Valparaiso, Portage, Michigan City, La Porte, and rural Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties are on FEMA’s Individual Assistance list for the August storms. If a claim is still open, a supplement is in the works, or a reinspection is coming, lossmap can fly a dated record of the roof, every side, and the site as they stand today. Every job is reviewed and quoted, and that review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. Nothing is charged when you order.

Still working a claim from the August storms in Northwest Indiana? lossmap documents the roof and the property from the air, in a dated gallery you can send to your adjuster.

Order an aerial assessment →Call (214) 493-1515

Home not livable while it is repaired? 1st Choice Living sets up furnished travel trailers on your own lot.

Storm facts, as of October 17, 2026

  • Indiana. On August 13, 2026, Governor Braun signed Executive Order 26-21, declaring a statewide disaster emergency for 30 days due to flooding, severe weather, tornadic activity, and a derecho that began August 11, 2026. Indiana Executive Order 26-21.
  • Federal, Indiana. On August 25, 2026, FEMA listed a major disaster declaration for Indiana, DR-4933-IN, for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding from August 11 to 24, 2026, and on September 25, 2026 it added Cass, Pike, and Putnam counties for Individual Assistance. As of October 17, 2026, its designated areas page named 24 counties under Individual Assistance, the FEMA program that pays households directly: Carroll, Cass, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, LaPorte, Lake, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Pike, Porter, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union, and Wayne. FEMA, Indiana Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4933-IN), designated areas.
  • Deadline to apply, Indiana. In its September 25, 2026 news release, FEMA said the deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance in Indiana is October 25, 2026. FEMA news release DR-4933-IN NR 05, September 25, 2026.
  • Weather, Indiana. NWS Indianapolis says a wet pattern from August 11 to 17, 2026 brought over a foot of rain to some parts of central Indiana, and that the White River at Anderson and Noblesville set record crests, breaking records from 1913. National Weather Service Indianapolis, Record Flooding of August 2026.

Apply for FEMA help at DisasterAssistance.gov. For current recovery information in Northwest Indiana, follow the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and your county emergency management agency. lossmap is not part of FEMA or any insurer.

Safety first

Stay off a damaged roof in Northwest Indiana: a drone flight is how the roof gets documented without anyone on it. Do what keeps people safe and prevents more damage, even if that means a repair or a tarp goes on before anyone flies.

Documenting a claim that is still open

A flight now records the property as it stands on the day of the flight, and the gallery carries that date. It cannot show what the roof looked like in August, and it does not say what caused any damage. It puts the roof, every side, and the site on one record that the adjuster, the contractor, and you can all open from the same link: for a supplement, a reinspection, or a repair still underway. Repair completion flights record the finished work.

What gets documented

  • Wind. Missing and creased shingles and lifted membrane, from straight overhead, plus fences, outbuildings, and detached structures. Wind roof flight.
  • Hail. The roof from overhead, test squares and soft-metal close-ups, and siding, windows, and exterior elevations. Hail roof flight.
  • Flood. Flood extent and high-water marks where they are still visible, and grading and drainage around the structure. Flood documentation flight.
  • Trees. Trees and limbs on a structure or across the yard, fences, and vehicles.

The gallery comes as a permalink you can send to your adjuster and to every contractor you ask for a bid. Adjusters with many addresses in Northwest Indiana can order CAT or volume dispatch.

Order a shoot →

FAA rules for the flight

Every lossmap flight is flown under the FAA’s Part 107 rules. Near an airport, in controlled airspace, the pilot needs an FAA authorization before the flight, and the FAA can issue temporary flight restrictions for disasters and other events, listed on the FAA’s TFR list. For every address in Northwest Indiana, the pilot checks the airspace and gets FAA authorization where it is required. The job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. See the FAA rules for drone roof inspections.

Building and permit offices

Before roof, siding, or flood repairs, ask the building office for the address what it requires. If it is safe, document the roof before the repair, then again once it is done.

County emergency management

Recovery updates

From official pages, checked October 17, 2026. Each line carries its own date.

  • October 16, 2026. Indiana Department of Homeland Security lists in-person FEMA, SBA and state relief help events in Porter County (Portage and Valparaiso, Oct. 16), LaPorte County (La Porte library, Oct. 17) and Lake County libraries in Lake Station and Griffith (Oct. 20 to 22). in.gov
  • October 14, 2026. Town of Porter (Porter County) says state debris removal collection of storm vegetative debris from public rights-of-way begins Friday, Oct. 16. in.gov
  • September 23, 2026. Lake County One-Stop Shop for FEMA help opens in Gary at United Steelworkers Local 1014, 1301 Texas St., Sept. 23 to 25 and Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central. lakecountyin.gov
  • September 8, 2026. Merrillville storm debris collection is concluding; Sept. 15 was the last day to put storm branches and household debris at the curb. merrillville.in.gov
  • August 25, 2026. NIPSCO reports power restored to 99% of customers in northern Indiana; remaining outages may involve damage to privately owned equipment. nipsco.com
  • August 25, 2026. Merrillville crews are consolidating and hauling storm tree debris as part of the town's debris removal process. merrillville.in.gov

How ordering works

  1. Tell us what happened, the address, and a preferred date, online or at (214) 493-1515.
  2. We review the job and send a quote. That review confirms whether and when a pilot can fly the property. Nothing is charged when you order.
  3. An FAA Part 107 pilot flies the shot list when it is safe and allowed. Flights need safe weather, generally winds under 20 mph and no precipitation.
  4. You get the gallery by link. The delivery timeline comes with the quote.

Housing and trailers in Northwest Indiana

lossmap documents the property. If the home is not livable while it is repaired, our parent company covers temporary housing on your lot in Northwest Indiana, including the local rules for a trailer on residential property. Crews and families who need a travel trailer can see trailers for crews and families in Northwest Indiana.

Nearby areas

Drone documentation in North Central Indiana · Drone documentation in Indianapolis · All Indiana and Ohio storm areas

What lossmap is not

lossmap provides aerial imagery and visual documentation. It is not a licensed roof inspection, an engineering report, or an insurance determination. Whether a carrier accepts the imagery is the carrier’s decision: see do insurers accept drone roof photos.

Sources

Official pages. Storm facts checked October 17, 2026; local pages checked October 17, 2026.

FAQ

Questions about Northwest Indiana storm claims.

Can I order drone documentation for a storm claim in Northwest Indiana?

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, Crown Point, Valparaiso, Portage, Michigan City, La Porte, and rural Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. Every job is reviewed and quoted, and that review confirms whether and when a pilot can fly the property. Nothing is charged when you order.

The storms were in August. What can a flight in Northwest Indiana show now?

The roof, every side of the structure, and the site as they stand on the day of the flight, with that date on the record. A flight now cannot show what the property looked like in August, and it does not say what caused any damage. It gives your adjuster and every contractor the same current images for an open claim, a reinspection, or a supplement.

Do I need a permit to repair a roof in Northwest Indiana?

Check with the building office for the address before repairs; permit rules differ by city, town, and county in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. The offices linked on this page include City of Gary Building Department, City of Gary Zoning Department, and City of Hammond Zoning Division. If the roof is still being worked on, a flight before and after the repair keeps both on record.

When is the deadline to apply for FEMA help in Indiana?

FEMA set October 25, 2026 as the deadline to apply in Indiana, as the source linked on this page states. Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov. lossmap is not part of FEMA or any insurer, and a lossmap gallery is not a FEMA application.

Is a lossmap gallery a roof inspection or an insurance determination?

No. lossmap provides aerial imagery and visual documentation of property in Northwest Indiana. It is not a licensed roof inspection, an engineering report, or an insurance determination. Whether a carrier accepts the imagery is the carrier's decision.

On the record, as it stands today.

Tell us what happened, where to fly, and when. We review the job and send a quote.

Order a shoot →

Or call (214) 493-1515.