Federal Help Expands for Four Counties

Columbus, Ohio – At the state’s request, federal assistance to Ohio in the wake of the May 27-29 storms and tornadoes has been approved for four counties to assist them in debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and permanent infrastructure repair.

The four counties, Columbiana, Greene, Mercer and Montgomery, will be able to access funds from the Public Assistance (PA) program, FEMA’s largest grant program for communities that are recovering from major disasters. Unlike the Individuals and Households Program currently operating in 11 counties assisting individuals and families in their recovery efforts, the PA program is for states, local municipalities, federally-recognized tribal governments and certain private non-profit organizations.

The next step is a series of locally-held applicant briefings to identify and report damage to FEMA so that either FEMA, the applicant or the recipient can prepare project worksheets for eligible work based on actual or projected costs. FEMA provides no less than 75 percent of the project cost to the state with other non-federal sources covering the remainder.

For more information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program, visit fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.