Support funds coming to Mercer County

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine has authorized the use of the State Disaster Relief Program to support 11 counties that were significantly impacted by severe weather events this year. One of those counties is Mercer County, which was impacted by an EF-2 tornado near Coldwater in early May.

The SDRP 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. This program is intended to provide supplemental state assistance to local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations for costs associated with debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent work.

• Monroe County: Flooding and severe storms, Jan. 24-25.
• Belmont, Guernsey, Jefferson, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, and Washington counties: Flooding and severe storms, April 1-4.
• Darke and Mercer counties: Tornadoes, May 7-8.
• Cuyahoga County: Tornadoes and severe storms, Aug. 6.

The SDRP is authorized for counties whose damages meet a countywide per capita indicator. Governor DeWine’s authorization allows the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to request the funding from the Ohio Controlling Board.