Gov. Mike DeWine asked President Donald Trump on Sept. 2 to declare a major federal disaster for 23 Ohio counties, including Franklin County, after August storms destroyed or heavily damaged more than 1,300 structures statewide.
The request, filed under the Stafford Act, seeks an estimated $14.3 million in federal assistance and $4.8 million from the state, totaling roughly $19 million. If approved, the declaration would unlock grants and loans for homeowners, renters and businesses still recovering from the Aug. 10–23 storms.
Hilliard is among the Columbus-area communities hit hardest. The National Weather Service reported Aug. 27 that Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Dublin and Reynoldsburg saw the most widespread damage in the region, driven by straight-line winds of 60–80 mph with gusts reaching 90–100 mph.
What the declaration would mean for residents
DeWine's letter to Trump asks the president to activate several Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs. The Individual Assistance Grant Program would provide grants for temporary housing, home repairs, rental assistance and replacement of personal property. The request also covers crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.
Beyond FEMA grants, the letter requests U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for uninsured property losses and FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.
Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), said in a Sept. 2 statement that the aid "will support local and state efforts and help advance long-term recovery," according to Litter Media.
Scope of the damage
A joint FEMA and SBA damage assessment conducted Aug. 24–28 surveyed 2,056 structures across the 23 counties. Teams found at least 50 destroyed, 806 with major damage and 475 with minor damage spanning 20 of those counties. No Hilliard-specific breakdown has been released.
The storms produced 17 confirmed tornadoes, killed two people, injured at least four and triggered roughly 59 water rescues. At the peak, an estimated 300,000 customers lost power statewide, and outages knocked out 911 operations in two counties. Ten shelters opened across five counties; two remained open as of Sept. 2.
Local response so far
The City of Hilliard began cleanup after the first major storm hit Aug. 11, deploying crews for chipper service by neighborhood zone and opening a drop-off site at 3790 Municipal Way for storm debris. Franklin County Emergency Management encouraged residents to submit damage reports to document the storm's impact.
The Franklin County Auditor's Office has also said storm-damaged property owners may qualify for a temporary reduction in appraised value, which could lower real estate taxes for the affected year, according to ABC 6. Owners can apply even without all repair documentation.
What happens next
Trump has not yet responded to the request.
No timeline for a decision has been announced. DeWine's letter noted that eight of the 23 counties were also hit by earlier 2026 storms, including Winter Storm Fern, and are already receiving state aid. If approved, FEMA would begin accepting individual assistance applications from residents in the 23 named counties.
