Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has declared a state of disaster emergency for 18 counties, including Lake County.

“It is my hope that this step enables residents, businesses and local government to access needed resources and assistance as they assess and recover from these devastating weather events,” Braun said in a Friday news release.

Braun declared the emergency after flooding, storm and tornado damage. Affected counties include Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Delaware, Gibson, Hamilton, Harrison, Lake, Madison, Marshall, Martin, Owen, Perry, Posey, Spencer and Warrick.

The state of disaster emergency is effective for 30 days and allows the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to start providing financial assistance to communities with expenses under the State Disaster Relief Fund program, according to a news release.

On March 19, multiple tornadoes touched down in Lake County, including three in Gary and one in Highland. Three EF-0 tornadoes passed through, two in Gary and one in Highland.

Gary also had an EF-1 tornado pass through its west side. Local officials said Gary’s Emerson community, 21st Avenue and Clark Street and Black Oak areas received significant damage. A 21st Avenue corridor between Whitcomb and Hendricks streets was severely impacted, according to a city news release.

Mayor Eddie Melton declared a local disaster emergency in a March 20 executive order. Melton’s declaration expired after one week.

The Gary Common Council, on April 1, unanimously approved a resolution to continue the executive order, which one city official said was needed to apply for aid.

“For instance, we’ve been having regular calls … with state agencies to talk about how the city can get reimbursed for our labor costs, our machinery fuel costs, other things that have been associated with public works, the fire department and their ongoing response,” Melton said at the council meeting.

The city of Gary did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday about Braun’s declaration.

The March 19 tornadoes produced strong winds, heavy rains that caused flooding, downed trees, downed power lines and property damage, according to Melton’s executive order.

High winds peeled the roof off the gym at Gary’s McCullough Academy, 2757 W. 21st Ave. Students returned to the school April 8.

The school’s affected area is safely cordoned off, allowing classes to resume, according to Post-Tribune archives.

“Our primary focus is the safety and recovery of our community,” Melton said in a previous news release. “We are committed to working tirelessly alongside emergency responders and city officials to restore normalcy and support those impacted by this severe weather event.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com