MIAMI VALLEY — Governor Mike DeWine is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to conduct a damage assessment in Ohio as soon as possible.
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While FEMA and SBA normally conduct their assessments after the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has completed its own assessments, DeWine is requesting joint preliminary assessment teams from the agencies to start now.
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“Ohio has been incessantly hit by storms since August 10, and without a break in the rain, the damage keeps building,” DeWine said in a statement. “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.”
The joint assessments must be completed before the state can request further support through a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.
Should the damage meet certain federal thresholds, some counties, including Butler, Champaign, Clark, Darke, and Preble, would qualify for the FEMA Individual Assistance Program and SBA low-interest loan programs.
Preble County would also qualify for the FEMA Public Assistance Program.
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