Indiana officials are requesting that the US Department of Agriculture declare a disaster area for 53 Hoosier counties recently affected by heavy rains and flooding. Governor Mike Pence has asked agriculture secretary Thomas Vilsack to help farmers with crop damage and losses be eligible for federal emergency assistance. In a statement, the Pence administration says in most of the 53 counties, crop damage and loss has exceeded 30 percent of what was planted.

Indiana’s lieutenant governor and the head of the state’s Farm Service Agency joined Pence in signing the letter. And Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly says he has sent a separate letter to Vilsack supporting a disaster declaration.

Several IPR area counties are included in the disaster area request. These are Adams, Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jay, Madison, Marion, Miami, Randolph, Wabash, Wayne, and Wells.