DeWine Requests FEMA Aid After Flooding

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine has requested that Mahoning County be added to the Presidential Disaster Declaration that provides aid to 10 counties hit by storms in late May.

“The same storm system that spawned the tornadoes in the areas of Dayton, Trotwood, and Celina last month also dumped rain on parts of Mahoning County, leading to severe flooding,” DeWine said in a statement.

During storms May 27 through 29, parts of Boardman and Canfield, including along the U.S. Route 224 corridor, were submerged, damaging homes and businesses. 

In a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, reported that 20 apartment units in Canfield and four in Boardman were rendered uninhabitable by floodwaters and sewer backups. 

“Many of these tenants are of low income, and the ability to relocate will be extremely challenging, if not impossible, without additional support,” Merick said.

Along the corridor, businesses and offices in low-lying areas, such as those in Boardman Plaza, were flooded and remain unusable until damage is repaired.

On June 18, President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for 10 counties on the west side of Ohio. Among the assistance made available through the declaration are grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses and other programs to help business owners and individuals recover from the storm damage.

Pictured: Flooded residential area in Canfield. (Photo: Canfield Joint Fire District)

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