09/17/2026
✨️ DERECHO CLEAN-UP UPDATE FOR PORTER COUNTY!! ✨️
Porter County continues working through recovery efforts after the August 11, 2026, Derecho, which caused unprecedented damage across our communities. The amount of fallen trees and vegetative debris is unlike anything we’ve faced in recent memory, and we appreciate your patience as cleanup moves forward.
📌 Disaster Area Declared Porter County—along with several northern Indiana counties—has been officially declared a Disaster Area, allowing us to access federal and state funding for emergency response and debris removal.
📌 Highway Department Response Right after the storm, our Highway Department cleared as many roads as possible with our county equipment to restore access for emergency services, utilities, and residents. However, the volume of debris along county road rights‑of‑way requires specialized equipment and additional manpower.
📌 Debris Removal Contractor This week, Porter County will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to hire qualified contractors for large-scale debris collection and disposal. These contractors will operate under tightly controlled FEMA and state regulations to ensure the County remains eligible for reimbursement.
📌 What Residents Should Know Once a contractor is selected, residents will be asked to place storm‑related vegetative debris from the August 11 event along the county road right‑of‑way for pickup (see graphic for more details on what the ‘right-of-way' is). Debris must be in the public right‑of‑way. Material on private property cannot be collected under federal rules
📌 Timeline Heavy debris removal operations are expected to begin mid-October and are expected to go through the end of November. We will continue sharing updates, guidance, and schedules through our website, social media, and local news outlets.
❤️ Thank You, Porter County. We know the past weeks have been difficult for many families and neighborhoods. Your patience, cooperation, and resilience have been remarkable. Porter County remains fully committed to restoring our communities and supporting residents every step of the way.