Wayne County’s commissioners extended the county’s disaster declaration another seven days.
Matthew Cain, director of Wayne County Emergency Management Agency, requested the extension during the Aug. 19 Wayne County Council and commissioners workshop. The county must reconsider a disaster declaration every seven days, and the original declaration was made during the Aug. 12 rainstorm that caused catastrophic flooding in the county.
Cain said a local disaster declaration is necessary for the county to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency aid. He said FEMA conducted an aerial analysis of the area Aug. 18, then he drove with a FEMA representative Aug. 19 throughout the county to assess damage. Cain said EMA planned to supply best-guess damage estimates Aug. 21 to FEMA, and the representative would analyze whether those numbers matched what was seen.
Cain said the flooding emergency had mostly transitioned from response to recovery— with the exception of ongoing flooded homes in Williamsburg, where the high water table provides nowhere for the floodwaters to recede, Commissioner Aaron Roberts said.
Cain has seen communities showing resilience through the disaster.
“Our hearts break for them,” Cain said. “Some of these families have lost their entire homes, the entire contents of their homes, heirlooms that were in their basements.”
He added: “We all feel bad that there’s not more that we can do, and we all want to do things quicker than the way we have to do them in order to work with FEMA and stay within their guidelines.”
Cain credited the American Red Cross for operating a shelter inside the First Bank Kuhlman Center at the Wayne County Fairgrounds and Cambridge City Christian Church for serving as a donation and supply distribution center. With provided U-Haul trucks, the church is delivering supplies to other communities.
“It’s nothing short of a miracle in and of itself what they’re doing for their community at that church,” Cain said.
Council member Cathy Williams, who has volunteered at the church, reminded all county residents that they also can pick up supplies at the church, 106 W. Church St., Cambridge City. During Williams’ volunteering, a steady stream of trucks arrived with supplies, she said.
Cain said International Disaster Emergency Services also is in Cambridge City, but serves the entire county.
The county website, co.wayne.in.us, has links to a damage survey and to an emergency resources list.
Health and safety
Director Dan Burk said the Wayne County Health Department is working to address health concerns brought about by the flooding.
The department is providing tetanus and hepatitis A vaccines from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at Cambridge City Christian Church and is scheduling additional clinics in Hagerstown and Williamsburg.
Protective equipment, such as rubber boots, goggles, gloves and mosquito wipes, is being distributed at the church. In addition, the department is fighting mosquitoes in standing water with packets that can be thrown into the water to kill larvae. The department was borrowing a truck from Madison County to fog areas of the county to kill mosquitoes.
Bridges and roads
Brandon Sanders, the county engineer, said five bridges, including the severely damaged Waterfall Road and Center Road bridges, require emergency inspections. Commissioners approved an on-call contract for Butler Fairman & Seufert Inc. to provide those inspections.
Sanders estimated that repairs to the Waterfall Road bridge would cost $75,000 to $100,000 and repairs to the Center Road bridge would cost $20,000 to $25,000. The Waterfall Road bridge is scheduled for full replacement in 2028, and Sanders said he would try to leverage the damage so the Indiana Department of Transportation would advance that project’s timeline.
Mike Sharp, the county’s highway supervisor, said Cheesman Road north of Hagerstown and Cambridge Road north of Goose Heaven Road near Cambridge City remained closed because of high water.
Sharp said his crews are handling the worst situations first. He estimates his department’s costs from the flood will exceed $1 million.
Equipment assistance
Commissioners reached out to local governments to receive requests for needed items.
Cambridge City requested a truck. Commissioners voted to provide the town with a 2011 pickup truck scheduled for removal from county use.
Commissioners also voted to provide Cambridge City Police Department $6,180.76 from unrestricted money received as part of the county’s settlement share from opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Cambridge City’s town building and police station were destroyed by the flood, and the police department needs a new computer and related equipment.
Commissioner Aaron Roberts said the Wayne County Cares fundraising through the Wayne County Foundation has the ability to order supplies through Amazon’s disaster relief program and have those supplies shipped directly to local governments.
Employee leave
During a special meeting Aug. 21, commissioners approved up to 80 hours of paid leave for county government employees impacted by flooding.
The leave is retroactive to Aug. 11. The policy enables department heads or elected officials to grant an employee emergency leave, then refer it to human resources.
Commissioner Brad Dwenger said the county needs such a policy because it needs to take care of employees who take care of the citizens.
A version of this article appeared in the August 26 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
