Tornado damage recovery: Gov. Dewine seeks rapid disaster declaration
COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine is requesting that the Small Business Administration issue a rapid disaster declaration for Logan County residents, families, and businesses impacted by tornadoes on March 14.
According to damage assessments conducted by federal, state, and local agencies, a total of 63 homes and/or businesses in Logan County have uninsured damages.
This surpasses the damage threshold necessary to request a disaster declaration from the SBA, the governor’s office said in an April 19 announcement.
Although Logan County is the only county that meets this threshold, impacted counties that are contiguous to Logan County would also qualify for SBA support.
The request, made April 19, follows Dewine’s March 29 request for a FEMA presidential disaster declaration for all 11 counties – including Richland – impacted by the March 14 tornadoes.
The SBA requires that governors wait 20 days after a requesting a FEMA declaration
before requesting a standalone declaration from the SBA.
“Twenty days have passed, and I have not received a decision on that request. Further, there is no indication that I will receive a decision soon. Therefore, I am requesting a Rapid Disaster Declaration from SBA,” Gov. Dewine wrote in a letter.
Should the SBA approve Governor Dewine’s request, the agency would make low-interest loans available to qualifying businesses and individuals to help with the cost of repairing or replacing real estate and other personal property damaged or destroyed by the storm.
The declaration would also allow Dewine to activate the Ohio Emergency Management Agency’s state individual assistance program, which can only be used if the SBA issues a standalone disaster declaration.
Funds from the Ohio EMA program are distributed as grants for qualifying homeowners and renters with unmet needs.