Anderson Township, Mariemont, Terrace Park and Newtown residents who suffered damage from August's severe storms could be eligible for federal housing grants, repair assistance and low-interest loans.
Gov. Mike DeWine sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Sept. 2, formally requesting a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Ohio. Hamilton County is among 23 counties included in the request, WLWT reported.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) conducted preliminary damage assessments across those counties and found at least 50 homes and businesses destroyed, 806 with major damage and 475 with minor damage, according to DeWine's office.
"Federal assistance will be critical in helping the Ohioans impacted by last month's severe weather recover and move forward with their lives," DeWine said in the letter.
What the declaration would unlock
If Trump approves the request, FEMA's Individual Assistance Grant Program would activate. That program provides grants for temporary housing and home repairs, rental assistance, replacement of personal property, crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.
DeWine's letter also asks the SBA to offer low-interest loans for uninsured property losses and requests activation of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to reduce future disaster losses.
Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, said in the governor's announcement that the federal assistance would support local and state recovery efforts and aid homeowners, renters and businesses.
The storms' toll
Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall, flash flooding and severe storms hit Ohio from Aug. 10 through Aug. 23. The National Weather Service confirmed 17 tornadoes statewide during that stretch.
Two people died. At least four were injured and authorities conducted about 59 water rescues, according to DeWine's letter.
Greater Cincinnati bore some of the heaviest damage. More than 180,000 Duke Energy customers lost power during the Aug. 11 storms alone, according to WVXU, citing Duke Energy local communications director John Juech. At the peak, Hamilton County accounted for about 82,000 of those outages, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The National Weather Service also confirmed an EF1 tornado on Aug. 11 that tracked 11.33 miles from southwest Butler County into Hamilton County, with peak winds of about 90 mph, Local 12 reported.
What's next
No timeline has been announced for when the White House will act on DeWine's request. Residents can check DisasterAssistance.gov or contact the Ohio EMA for updates on when applications for individual assistance may open.
