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August storms: Southeast Indiana

Temporary Housing on Your Lot in Southeast Indiana After the August Storms

For families in Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Brookville, Greensburg, and rural Dearborn, Franklin, and Decatur counties whose home is not livable after the August 2026 storms. A furnished travel trailer on your own lot where the local rule allows it, billed to your carrier under Additional Living Expenses where the claim covers it.

Local rules: Unincorporated Dearborn County issues a free temporary occupancy permit when a home cannot be lived in, Greensburg allows an RV stay of up to 29 days a year, and Franklin County allows a mobile home, not an RV, during a rebuild.

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Local rules on a trailer on your lot. We found the official local code for Dearborn County (unincorporated), the Town of Brookville, Franklin County (unincorporated), the City of Greensburg, and Decatur County (unincorporated), each quoted below with its source. For the City of Lawrenceburg and the City of Aurora, we did not find a rule on an official page, so check with the local office. We confirm the rule for your address before delivery. See the local rules.

This page is for homeowners in Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Brookville, Greensburg, and rural Dearborn, Franklin, and Decatur counties whose home is not livable after the August 2026 storms. Indiana has no statewide rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while the house is repaired, so the city or county code decides. Unincorporated Dearborn County issues a free temporary occupancy permit when a home cannot be lived in, Greensburg allows an RV stay of up to 29 days a year, and Franklin County allows a mobile home, not an RV, during a rebuild. 1st Choice Living has placed furnished travel trailers on homeowners’ own property, nationwide, since 2004. We check the local rule for your address before anything is delivered, and we bill the carrier directly under ALE where the claim covers it.

The August storms and Dearborn, Franklin, and Decatur counties

FEMA lists Dearborn County, Franklin County, and Decatur County under Individual Assistance for this disaster. Households there apply for FEMA help at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362; FEMA set October 25, 2026 as the deadline to apply in Indiana. Storm facts as of October 17, 2026, from official sources:

  • Indiana. On August 13, 2026, Governor Braun signed Executive Order 26-21, declaring a statewide disaster emergency for 30 days due to flooding, severe weather, tornadic activity, and a derecho that began August 11, 2026. Source
  • Federal, Indiana. On August 25, 2026, FEMA listed a major disaster declaration for Indiana, DR-4933-IN, for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding from August 11 to 24, 2026, and on September 25, 2026 it added Cass, Pike, and Putnam counties for Individual Assistance. As of October 17, 2026, its designated areas page named 24 counties under Individual Assistance, the FEMA program that pays households directly: Carroll, Cass, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, LaPorte, Lake, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Pike, Porter, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union, and Wayne. Source
  • Deadline to apply, Indiana. In its September 25, 2026 news release, FEMA said the deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance in Indiana is October 25, 2026. Source
  • Weather, Indiana. NWS Indianapolis says a wet pattern from August 11 to 17, 2026 brought over a foot of rain to some parts of central Indiana, and that the White River at Anderson and Noblesville set record crests, breaking records from 1913. Source

Go back to a property only when local officials say it is safe. For roads, debris, and assistance events, follow the Dearborn County Emergency Management Agency, the Franklin County Emergency Management (August 2026 flood resources), and the Decatur County Emergency Management Agency, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Recovery status as of October 17, 2026

What the official county, city, state, utility, and FEMA pages stated when we read them. Each line carries its date and links its source.

  • October 17, 2026. FEMA representatives are at the Laurel Community Center, 218 N. Clay St., Laurel, in Franklin County, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to help with applications (also open Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Source: Indiana Department of Homeland Security, August 2026 Disaster Hub
  • August 17, 2026. The Town of Brookville declared a local disaster emergency for Whitewater River flooding, retroactive to Aug. 11, 2026, and the Town Council continued it until Sept. 18, 2026. Source: Town of Brookville

Not stated on an official page. Anything not listed here was not stated on an official page we read. Ask the county emergency management agency for the latest.

Local rules on living in an RV on your lot

Whether a trailer can stay on your lot while the house is repaired is decided by your city or town, or outside city limits by the county or township, and by your HOA if you have one. We did not find an Indiana statute or state rule that allows or limits living in an RV or travel trailer on the lot of a home that is not livable after a disaster, so the city, town, or county zoning code decides.

Here is what each local code says, in plain words and then in its own words, with the link to the official page it was read on.

City of Lawrenceburg

We did not find a rule on living in an RV or travel trailer on your own lot on an official page for the City of Lawrenceburg. Check with the local planning or zoning office before a trailer is placed, and ask whether a permit is needed and how long a temporary unit may stay.

City of Aurora

We did not find a rule on living in an RV or travel trailer on your own lot on an official page for the City of Aurora. Check with the local planning or zoning office before a trailer is placed, and ask whether a permit is needed and how long a temporary unit may stay.

Dearborn County (unincorporated)

When a home is destroyed or damaged so badly it cannot be lived in, the county can issue a free zoning permit for temporary occupancy on the property for six months, renewable once for six more by the Planning Director, plus a building permit for the temporary residence. The rule does not say whether an RV counts as the temporary residence. Ask Dearborn County Planning and Zoning before anyone moves in.

“In situations where a property has a permanent principally permitted single family dwelling unit which is destroyed or damaged to the point where it is not livable, a zoning permit allowing temporary occupancy may be issued. (The requirements of Article 4 still apply.) However, it will still be necessary to obtain a Building Permit from the Building Department for the placement of a temporary residence. The zoning permit shall be limited to six (6) months, but can be renewed for a period of six (6) additional months by the Planning Director.” Source: Dearborn County Zoning Ordinance, Art. 25, Sec. 2552 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy

Town of Brookville

Brookville uses the older Franklin County area zoning code for temporary uses. The Board of Zoning Appeals may allow a mobile home (not an RV) as a temporary home for a family whose house on the same lot was badly damaged, and the code says parked RVs may not be used for living or sleeping except short visits. Ask Franklin County Planning, Zoning and Building before anyone moves in.

“Mobile home as a temporary living place or dwelling for an infirm or sickly blood relative who is unable to care for himself due to sickness, age, or disability, on the same lot as the existing dwelling; or for a family whose existing dwelling on the same lot has been severely damaged by fire or other danger ... At no time shall such parked or stored recreational vehicle be occupied or used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes, except as provided for visitations in (c) above.” Source: Franklin County Area Zoning Code (Ch. 80, 1989), Sec. 80.35(C)(9 1/2) and accessory-use item (13)(d), applied in Brookville by Brookville Code Sec. 153.01

Franklin County (unincorporated)

A family whose home was badly damaged may live in a mobile home (not an RV) on the same lot without a permit until the home is rebuilt, as long as a rebuilding permit is applied for within six months. Parked or stored RVs may not be used for living or sleeping except for visits. Ask Franklin County Planning, Zoning and Building before anyone moves into an RV.

“Mobile home as a temporary living place or dwelling for a family whose existing dwelling on the same lot has been severely damaged by fire or other danger is allowed without permit until completion of the rebuilt home, so long as a permit to rebuild is applied for within six (6) months. ... At no time shall such parked or stored recreational vehicle be occupied or used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes, except as provided for visitations in (a) above.” Source: Franklin County Citizens Zoning and Subdivision Control Code, Sec. 80.08.07(C)(1)(d) and (C)(2)(d)

City of Greensburg

Living in an RV outside an RV park or campground is allowed only as a temporary residence for no more than 29 days in a calendar year, and only in the R-1 and R-2 districts. No storm or rebuilding exception was found. Ask Greensburg Building, Planning and Zoning before anyone moves in.

“Recreational Vehicle Occupancy. Recreational vehicles outside of a designated recreational vehicle park / campground shall only be permitted as a temporary residence limited to no more than twenty-nine (29) days and only in those zoning districts as specified in Chapter 2, Zoning Districts. ... Under no circumstances shall anyone occupy and/or reside in a recreational vehicle for more than twenty-nine (29) days within a calendar year in a residentially zoned property.” Source: Greensburg Unified Development Ordinance (2023), Secs. 4.C.27 and 3.D.15.f.iii

Decatur County (unincorporated)

The county ordinance defines RVs as seasonal recreational vehicles that may not be used for more than 90 days in a row or 180 days a year, and it has no storm or rebuilding allowance. Ask the Decatur County Area Plan Office before anyone moves in.

“Recreational Vehicles may be used for recreational purposes during seasonal periods of the year, but may not be used for more than 90 consecutive days or for more than 180 days of each calendar year.” Source: Decatur County Zoning Ordinance, Art. 2 Definitions (Recreational Vehicle)

Rules here were read on official city, town, township, and county pages on October 17, 2026 and can change during a recovery. We confirm the rule for your address before delivery.

Permit and planning offices

Septic and health

Indiana's residential onsite sewage rule defines a dwelling as any place used for seasonal or permanent habitation or sleeping, and requires a written permit from the local health officer before an existing onsite system is added to or altered. We found no county rule written for hooking a trailer to a home's septic system, so call the county health department before connecting. Source: Indiana Administrative Code 410 IAC 6-8.3 (residential onsite sewage systems)

Power utilities

If a trailer is not allowed at your address

Then a trailer on your lot is not the answer, and we will tell you so. Ask the planning office what it does allow during repairs, and ask your adjuster how your Additional Living Expenses apply to a hotel or a furnished rental instead. Our guide to arranging your own temporary housing covers the questions to ask and the receipts to keep.

  • State Disaster Relief Fund. Indiana’s State Disaster Relief Fund rule limits its temporary housing category to vouchers or reimbursement for short-term lodging such as hotels and motels. Source
  • Hotel voucher. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security says IHCDA’s August 2026 temporary housing help covers a hotel stay of up to 60 days or rental assistance, and that the last day to apply for IHCDA’s hotel voucher through Indiana 211 is Monday, October 19, 2026. Source

How the trailer is billed: Additional Living Expenses

Additional Living Expenses, or ALE, sometimes called loss of use, pays for somewhere to live while the house is not livable. Ask your carrier whether your policy includes it and what the limit is. The Indiana Department of Insurance lists additional living expenses, “in case damage makes your home temporarily unlivable,” among the coverages in a homeowners policy, and says that if a peril your homeowners policy covers forces you to move temporarily into a hotel or motel, your insurance may pay reasonable additional living expenses.

  • Local rules for your address checked before delivery.
  • A furnished travel trailer with a kitchen, a bathroom, real beds, and heat and air, delivered, leveled, and set up on your property.
  • Utilities connected by licensed, insured contractors from our preferred vendor network, planned around what is actually working at the property.
  • Site conditions documented at setup and again at takedown.
  • Direct billing to your carrier under ALE where the claim covers it, tracked against your ALE limit.
  • One named contact from the first call to the day the unit leaves.

Flood is different. National Flood Insurance Program policies do not provide additional living expense coverage. If your home also had damage your homeowners policy covers, such as wind, ask your adjuster how ALE applies. Your own carrier’s policy form sets the time and dollar limits; we have quoted them, with the source, on loss of use coverage by insurance carrier. This is general information, not legal or coverage advice. Your policy and your adjuster decide what is covered. 1st Choice Living is independent of every insurer and of FEMA.

Already working with a temporary housing company?

We work with any temporary housing company. If one is handling your housing, ask them to place you with 1st Choice Living for a trailer on your own lot in Southeast Indiana. They send us the placement, we deliver, set up, and service the trailer, and the billing runs through them or straight to your carrier, whichever way their program works.

What we need to start

  • The property address and whether it is inside city or town limits.
  • How many people are in the household.
  • Your claim number and your adjuster’s name and contact.
  • Your ALE limit, if your adjuster has told you.

From there we check the local rule for that address, confirm the lot can take a unit, and plan setup around what is safe and working at the property. Adjusters and housing companies can send a placement through for adjusters and carriers or for housing companies.

Ask about a trailer on your Southeast Indiana lot

Call or send the request form with your claim number, your adjuster’s contact, and the property address. We confirm the local rule first, and tell you plainly if a trailer on your lot is not the right fit.

Call (214) 493-1515Request housing

More on the August storms

Frequently asked questions

Can I live in a travel trailer on my lot in Dearborn County while my house is repaired?

Unincorporated Dearborn County has the closest rule: when a home is destroyed or damaged so badly it cannot be lived in, the county can issue a free zoning permit for temporary occupancy on the property for six months, renewable once for six more, plus a building permit for the temporary residence. It does not say whether an RV counts, so ask Dearborn County Planning and Zoning first. We found no rule either way for Lawrenceburg or Aurora.

What does Franklin County allow after the flooding?

Franklin County lets a family whose home was badly damaged live in a mobile home, not an RV, on the same lot without a permit until the home is rebuilt, as long as a rebuilding permit is applied for within six months. Parked RVs may not be used for living or sleeping except visits. Brookville uses the older Franklin County area code, where the Board of Zoning Appeals may allow a mobile home for a family whose house was badly damaged.

Can I live in an RV on my lot in Greensburg or Decatur County?

Greensburg allows living in an RV outside a park or campground only as a temporary residence for no more than 29 days in a calendar year, and only in the R-1 and R-2 districts. Unincorporated Decatur County limits RV use to 90 days in a row or 180 days a year, with no storm or rebuilding allowance. Ask the planning office before anyone moves in.

Will my homeowners insurance pay for housing while my Southeast Indiana home is repaired?

Many homeowner policies include Additional Living Expenses, also called loss of use. The Indiana Department of Insurance says that if your home is damaged by a peril your homeowners policy covers and you are forced to move temporarily into a hotel or motel, your insurance may pay reasonable additional living expenses. Whether your policy includes it, and the limit, is a question for your adjuster. Where the claim covers a trailer on your lot and the local rule allows one, we bill the carrier directly.

I applied for FEMA help. Does that change my insurance claim?

They are separate. Households in Dearborn County, Franklin County, and Decatur County can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, and FEMA set October 25, 2026 as the deadline to apply in Indiana. Your Additional Living Expenses claim runs through your own carrier, and FEMA decides what its own assistance covers. 1st Choice Living is independent of FEMA and of every insurer.

Stay on your lot while the house is repaired

One named contact, local rules checked before delivery, direct billing to your carrier where the claim covers it.

Call (214) 493-1515Request housing

Sources, checked October 17, 2026