CHANDLER, Ind. — Warrick County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has confirmed that at least nine homes sustained significant damage due to a partial mine collapse in the area. The collapse has left many residents in a state of uncertainty, as they await further assessments and answers.
In response to the growing concerns, town officials held a community meeting to address questions from those directly affected. The gathering provided some information, but left many residents still grappling with the uncertainty of their future.
One of the primary concerns is the delay in starting repairs. Officials explained that homeowners will need to wait for a 90-day period to pass with no further collapse detected before they can receive insurance estimates or begin repairs. Although officials believe that the major ground movements have mostly ceased, there remains the possibility of continued sinking as the collapsed sediment compacts in the coming months and even years.
For many residents, the news was particularly troubling, especially for those without mine subsidence insurance, a coverage that is often necessary in areas prone to such incidents. Grant Freeman, with MCF Construction, acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. “It’s not going to be good, and I’m sorry for that,” he said, referring to the challenges homeowners without proper insurance coverage will face.
Brian Lucas, a recently retired resident, shared his personal story of hardship. “I just recently retired, and I went from happy and housebound to homeless basically,” Lucas said. He revealed that he had recently changed his insurance provider, only to learn too late that his new policy did not cover mine subsidence damage.
Lucas expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “In a time like this, if you don’t have it, no pun intended, you’re looking into a deep hole.”
Warrick County EMA Director Matt Goebel emphasized that the agency is working to find ways to assist homeowners like Lucas, who may face a total financial loss. “It’s all coming down to the research, seeing what we can do,” Goebel said. “That’s why my heart goes out to them. It hurts to know that maybe we can and maybe we can’t, but at the end of the day that’s our job is to try to help them.”
In an effort to better understand the scope of the damage and what can be done to assist the community, officials from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be conducting a thorough survey of the affected area. Chandler Environmental Manager Michael Bell reassured residents that authorities are doing everything they can to address the situation. “We’re doing our very best. Everything we know to do, we’re doing that,” Bell said.
For now, Chandler officials have kept their doors and inboxes open to the community, encouraging residents to reach out with any concerns, signs of damage on their property, or unmet needs.
Emergency management officials have stated that a clearer picture of the situation will emerge following Tuesday morning’s walkthrough by the Department of Homeland Security. In the meantime, they continue to urge residents to report any new damage or concerns to ensure that no one is overlooked.
As the situation unfolds, many are left hoping for a resolution that will bring some stability back to their homes and community, but for now, uncertainty remains the prevailing sentiment.
