(The Center Square) – The impact of Hurricane Helene continues to be felt in southern Ohio.
Gov. Mike DeWine activated the State Disaster Relief Program for six counties impacted by the remnants of the storm that brought severe flooding and extensive damage throughout the Southeast United States.
In October, four of those counties were placed under a state of emergency following flooding and storm damage related to Helene. Now, Adams, Gallia, Jackson, Pike, Scioto, and Vinton counties are part of the relief program, which is a reimbursement program that can be used in instances where storm damage amounts do not meet the threshold for federal assistance but do meet state program requirements.
SDRP provides supplemental state help to local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations for costs associated with debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent work.
SDRP is authorized for counties whose damages meet a countywide per capita indicator. DeWine’s authorization allows the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to request funding from the Ohio Controlling Board.
Remnants of Helene brought high winds and heavy rains that caused flooding, power outages and downed trees in Lawrence, Jackson, Pike and Scioto counties, all in south central Ohio on or near the Ohio River.
While the storm’s impact was felt significantly in southern Ohio and less notably around the state, the damage was not nearly as devastating as in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Ohio National Guard troops, a helicopter and the Ohio Department of Administrative Services Multi-Agency Radio Communication system staff and public safety equipment all headed to Asheville, North Carolina following the storm.
Also, doctors from Ohio State University Medical Center and Ohio Task Force 1 arrived in western North Carolina after being reassigned from a staging area in Orlando before the storm.