State and federal officials are alarmed that applications for emergency food stamps far outnumber registrations for federal aid at region disaster recovery centers.

Those officials fear many flood victims may be forgoing needed Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.

"The one thing we want to do is encourage folks to make sure if they had damage to their home, they should apply with FEMA," said Andy Miller, director of the Indiana Office of Disaster Recovery.

Miller said disaster food stamp applications are outrunning FEMA applications by more than two-to-one.

Disaster recovery centers in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties processed 5,000 food stamp applications in the first two days of operations and were on track to process that many again on Saturday, Miller said just after noon.

Less than half that number had requested FEMA aid at those sites, he said.

FEMA and the Small Business Administration echoed Miller's concerns Saturday.

In addition, SBA spokesman Greg Dawson said people who register for SBA loans must fill out the applications they receive. If SBA does not receive the applications, the registrants will be cut off from all further opportunities for federal aid.

About 500 people were lined up at the Munster disaster recovery center by its 8 a.m. opening Saturday. About 1,000 lined up at a similar site in Gary and another 1,000 in Lake Station, Miller said.

The Valparaiso disaster recovery center was getting more business on Saturday, with about 300 people lined up there, Miller said.

Part of the disparity between food stamp and FEMA applications appears to be the separate lines established for each at the centers, officials said. After long waits in line, people often go home after receiving food stamps rather than going on to FEMA registration lines to continue their waits.

At the disaster recovery center in Munster on Saturday, Kimberly Wujak, of Merrillville, already had been waiting in line for emergency food stamps for about two hours by 10 a.m. Her husband had gone in the other line to apply for FEMA aid.

"Thirteen months ago, we were flooded and no one helped us," she said as she picked up a peanut butter and jelly pie for her 2-year-old from the Salvation Army canteen truck. "Maybe we'll get lucky this time and get some help."

The family's hot water tank was knocked out by flooding from Turkey Creek, so she said she has been heating stock pots full of water on the stove to warm the cold bath water for her three children.

"It takes hours just to bathe everyone," she said.