Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) immediately begin conducting damage assessments across Ohio due to persistent and increasing storm impacts since August 10.
This expedited request aims to accelerate the process for federal support, as joint preliminary assessments are a prerequisite for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. Typically, these federal evaluations follow state assessments by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), but continuous severe weather has prompted a more proactive approach.
Governor DeWine underscored the urgency, saying, "Ohio has been incessantly hit by storms since August 10, and without a break in the rain, the damage keeps building. We want our federal partners to proactively work alongside our state teams. The faster we get this done, the faster we can get help to those who need it."
Should the assessments confirm damages meet federal thresholds, numerous counties would become eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance, FEMA Public Assistance, and SBA low-interest loan programs, including Adams, Brown, Franklin, Hamilton, Licking, Madison, Muskingum, Perry, Preble, and Washington, among others.