Gov. Mike DeWine asked President Donald Trump on Sept. 2 to declare a major federal disaster for 23 Ohio counties, including Hamilton and Clermont, after August storms damaged more than 1,300 structures.
The formal request, sent as a letter to the White House, follows a joint Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) damage survey conducted Aug. 24 through Aug. 28 across those counties. If Trump approves, Loveland and Milford residents who suffered storm damage could apply for federal housing grants, rental assistance, low-interest SBA loans and crisis counseling.
The storms hit Ohio from Aug. 10 through Aug. 23. The National Weather Service confirmed 17 tornadoes across 11 counties. A derecho on Aug. 11 knocked out power to an estimated 300,000 customers statewide at its peak. Two people died. One death occurred when floodwater prevented first responders from reaching a patient. The other happened when a tree fell on a pedestrian.
In western Hamilton County, flooding on Aug. 13–14 reached levels not seen since 1959, according to the governor's letter. In Clermont County, the Aug. 11 derecho cut power to roughly 40,000 Duke Energy customers, with the hardest-hit areas in Jackson, Stonelick and Williamsburg townships, according to a county officials' review reported by Signal Cincinnati.
What the declaration would unlock
DeWine's letter requests FEMA's Individual Assistance Grant Program for all 23 counties. That program covers temporary housing grants, home repair grants, rental assistance, replacement of personal property, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling and disaster legal services. The letter also requests Transitional Sheltering Assistance, SBA Physical Damage Loans, SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans and FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.
The total estimated need: $19 million, including $14 million for housing assistance and $5 million for other needs.
Assessed damage across 23 counties
FEMA and SBA assessors examined 2,056 structures and found 50 destroyed, 806 with major damage and 475 with minor damage. Ten shelters opened across five counties during the response. Two remained open as of Sept. 2. The Ohio National Guard deployed for debris clearance, and the state Emergency Operations Center stayed active from Aug. 11 through Aug. 28.
DeWine said the storms created "a disaster of such severity and magnitude that it exceeds the capabilities of the State of Ohio … to provide comprehensive support," as reported by WLWT.
What residents should do now
Hamilton County Emergency Management Director Nick Crossley urged storm victims in August not to wait for federal action. "Nothing should hamper getting the work done … Just document with pictures, the amounts that you paid, the receipts, all that kind of stuff," Crossley told WLWT on Aug. 21, after DeWine asked FEMA to begin damage assessments. If a declaration is approved, Crossley said, claims can be filed retroactively to Aug. 10.
No federal aid has been approved yet. The request now sits with FEMA Region V in Chicago and requires presidential sign-off. No timeline for a decision has been announced.
