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The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending assessment teams into ten Ohio counties damaged by last week’s series of tornadoes. They’ll be joined by members of the Small Business Administration and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. The assessment will determine if Ohio is eligible to receive federal assistance for those impacted by the storms.
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Pickaway and Hocking counties are two of those ten set for damage assessment. Teams will be in both counties on Wednesday, June 5th.
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Two twisters have been confirmed to have touched down in Pickaway County last week, one an EF1 south of Tarlton, the other an EF1 that struck near Laurelville. Hocking County’s tornado was measured as an EF2 that struck near Laurelville.
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Damage assessment is also being carried out in Auglaize and Mercer counties on Wednesday. Montgomery and Greene counties are being assessed on Wednesday and Thursday, with assessment in Darke, Miami, Muskingum and Perry counties taking place on Thursday only.
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“The goal of tomorrow’s assessment is to provide the state with a count of the number of destroyed homes and businesses, as well as those with minor and major damage,” said Ohio EMA Executive Director Sima Merick “That information will be used to determine if Ohio meets the federal guidelines and that, if any, potential federal assistance will be available to disaster survivors and businesses.”
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Once the joint preliminary damage assessment is complete, FEMA and SBA will give their report to the Ohio EMA. If federal impact criteria are met, Governor Mike DeWine can request a Presidential Disaster Declaration, and President Donald Trump would ultimately determine whether any federal assistance is granted.
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The types of federal assistance that Ohio could potentially qualify for include:
- FEMA Individual Assistance: limited grant assistance
- SBA: low-interest loans.
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In order to qualify for this federal funding, Ohio must meet a complex set of “impact criteria” set by FEMA. If the impact from last week’s storms do not meet federal criteria, there may be assistance available from entities such as the Ohio Development Services Agency, the Treasurer of Ohio, and local long-term recovery committees.
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The National Weather Service has confirmed a total of 21 tornadoes that struck Ohio Memorial Day night through the morning of May 28. These include one EF4, two EF3s, four EF2s, six EF1s and eight EF0s.
- EF4 – Trotwood, Montgomery County
- EF3 – Beavercreek, Greene County
- EF3 – Celina, Mercer County
- EF2 – South of Vandalia, Montgomery County
- EF2 – Near Laurelville, Hocking County
- EF2 – Near West Milton, Miami County
- EF2 – Northeast of Jamestown, Greene County
- EF1 – South of Tarlton, Pickaway County
- EF1 – Roseville, Perry County
- EF1 – New Madison, Darke County
- EF1 – West of Wapakoneta, Auglaize County
- EF1 – Jamestown, Greene County
- EF1 – South of Hollandsburg, Darke County
- EF0 – ElizabethTownship, Miami County
- EF0 – Uniopolis, Auglaize County
- EF0 – Near Phillipsburg, Miami/Montgomery counties
- EF0 – Southeast of Circleville, Pickaway County
- EF0 – Waynesfield, Auglaize County
- EF0 – Between BelleCenter & Kenton, Hardin County
- EF0 – Northwest of Zaleski, Vinton County
- EF0 – South of Troy, Miami County