GRIFFITH | Gov. Mitch Daniels toured Griffith on Tuesday morning, more than three weeks after a tornado plowed a path of destruction through homes and businesses.
Daniels defended the delay, saying his presence is "not very important in the immediate instance." Other state agencies were on the scene right away, and hourly reports kept him up to date on the damage and recovery, he said.
He said he prefers to stay out of the way during disasters to allow first-responders to do their job. At the same time, it's important to get the people on the scene the supplies they need, he said.
Daniels also said there was little the state can do financially to help the town of Griffith cover the unanticipated costs associated with the storm, such as overtime pay for town employees who helped in the cleanup and recovery effort.
The state only could try to offer in-kind support, such as help from the Department of Natural Resources or state police, he said.
The tornado hit the night of Aug. 4. On Tuesday, as Daniels walked through homes in the neighborhood east of Broad Street and north of Ridge Road on Indiana Place -- many of which remain uninhabitable -- he listened to the residents' survival stories.
Jeff and Elaine Jelenski showed Daniels their gutted, roofless kitchen and the basement where some of the family took shelter during the tornado. The family, like many in the area, is staying in a nearby hotel, Jeff Jelenski said.
They hope to move back home in eight months to a year. The children are shaken, but school has started and is helping bring back some normalcy, he said.
"I'm glad you're all here and safe and sound," Daniels told the couple.
Daniels visited with residents at two other homes, offering phone numbers they can call to straighten out insurance claim problems. Resident James Guevara said he feels his insurance company isn't fairly assessing the damage to his home, and he was glad the governor came out.
"I wanted him to come to our house," he said. "Hopefully, it motivates some of these insurance companies."
Daniels, who toured parts of Indiana that were flooded earlier this summer, said the state is getting a lot of practice responding to such disasters. Indiana is well-prepared and well-organized, he said.
"Here in Griffith, I believe I've seen and heard what I tend to in Indiana," he said.
Neighbors are helping neighbors, he said.
Daniels was invited to a block party that the neighborhood wants to host when everything is back to normal.
"If you have a block party, I'd love to come back," he responded.
