COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Thursday, March 21, that the state has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a damage assessment on impacted homeowners, renters and businesses for the 11 Ohio counties impacted by the tornadic severe storms on March 14. Governor DeWine declared a state of emergency for Logan, Auglaize, Mercer, Darke, Miami, Union, Delaware, Licking, Hancock, Crawford and Richland counties on March 17.
Six FEMA damage assessment teams will be inspecting and assessing the damage in all 11 Ohio counties on Tuesday, March 26. The purpose for the Individual Assistance (IA) Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) is to identify the type, and extent of disaster damages to homes and businesses and assess whether or not federal resources are needed to supplement local and state resources.
“Ohioans are resilient. When I toured the damage at Indian Lake, I heard over and over again from the residents I talked to about their resolve to rebuild. Having FEMA assess the damage is the next step in helping the affected communities recover,” said Governor Mike DeWine.
On the evening of March 14, a round of severe weather pushed through the state resulting in extensive damage across several counties. The storms ranged from EF-1 to EF-3 with wind speeds in excess of 150 mph in the largest tornadoes. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with state and local initiatives focusing on assisting storm survivors, debris removal, and long-term recovery.