Friday, June 18, 2004
Flood victims are eligible for loans and grants.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you are a Mahoning County resident, you live in a federally designated disaster area.
President Bush made the designation Friday based on storm damage last month.
About 70 homes throughout the county incurred several hundred thousand dollars' worth of damage from storms that began May 18 and continued on and off through the rest of the month, said Walter Duzzny, Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency director.
Mahoning is among three Ohio counties that got the federal designation. The others are Portage and Hocking.
How to get help
Owners of damaged homes can call the Federal Emergency Management Agency at (800) 621-3362. The agency will send an inspector to damaged homes within 10 days of a call.
FEMA officials are considering opening a walk-in recovery center for county residents, but no decision was made as of Friday.
Flood victims will be eligible for grants and low-interest loans to make necessary repairs for damaged caused by the weather, said Dale Shipley, Ohio Emergency Management Agency executive director.
Flood victims have 60 days from Friday to file claims with FEMA, Shipley said.
Basic needs only
Government disaster assistance covers only basic needs and normally won't compensate individuals for their entire loss, FEMA officials say.
The state incurred about $80 million in storm damage last year, and since May, there has been about $8 million in damage in Ohio this year, Shipley said.
"We want to make assistance available to all who have suffered flood damage," he said. "Our state has been inundated with flooding and severe storms since early last summer, and FEMA has always come through to assist Ohioans during their times of need."
Last year
Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana were declared federal disaster areas during the summer floods of last year.
Columbiana was among eight Ohio counties to receive the federal designation two weeks ago.
Last month was the second-wettest May in recorded Mahoning Valley weather history, according to the National Weather Service. During the month, 7.03 inches of rain fell, with nearly two inches falling May 21.
skolnick@vindy.com