Ohio EMA Releases Tabletop Exercise Toolkit

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) today announced the release of a toolkit to help local communities better assess damages after disasters.  The “Post-Disaster Incident: Damage Assessment” tabletop exercise toolkit is designed to assist Ohio jurisdictions with developing damage assessment plans and enhance capabilities in effectively conducting damage assessments following a disaster.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 2024, there were 27 confirmed weather/climate disaster events across the nation with losses exceeding $1 billion each. In addition, Ohio was impacted by a record-breaking 74 tornadoes, severe storms, and devastating flooding. Many of these incidents required damage assessments by county emergency management agencies, with estimated damages totaling more than $61M for communities’ response and infrastructure repair cost. Damage assessments are used by local communities to evaluate the need for state and federal funding to help recover from disasters.

This free toolkit provides guidance for community stakeholders and partners in evaluating and documenting post disaster damage, consolidating the data into a standardized report, and ensuring the accurate submission of essential information to relevant partners.

The Post-Disaster Incident: Damage Assessment Toolkit provides comprehensive information and materials needed to easily plan for and host a tabletop exercise.

By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, the toolkit aims to streamline the process of accessing individual and public assistance funds, as well as other recovery resources, ultimately supporting communities in their recovery efforts.

This is one of several toolkits the Ohio EMA has developed, others include: Mall Active Shooter; Business Continuity: Disaster in the Workplace; Higher Education Active Aggressor; Houses of Worship Targeted Disruption; K-12 School Severe Weather; K-12 School Active Aggressor; K-12 School Hazardous Materials; and Dark Sky: Long Term Power Outage.

More information on trainings, toolkits, and programs the Training and Exercise Section offers can be found on the Ohio EMA website.

You can view all available Toolkits by clicking here.