New Albany residents who live on the Licking County side of the city need to report flood damage from the Aug. 20 storms to the Licking County Emergency Management Agency, not Franklin County's system.
The Licking County EMA posted a call for damage reports Aug. 24, asking anyone whose home, business or property sustained flood damage to email [email protected] with their contact information, property address and a brief description of the damage.
The process is separate from the Franklin County damage portal that Franklin County Emergency Management promoted on Aug. 21 for residents affected by the Aug. 11 derecho. New Albany straddles the Franklin-Licking county line, and residents on the Licking County side must use the Licking County system to ensure their losses are counted in that county's official damage assessment.
That distinction matters. Damage totals factor into whether counties qualify for state and federal disaster relief. Gov. Mike DeWine already activated the State Disaster Relief Program for Licking County earlier this year for March storms, according to Spectrum News 1. Whether the August flooding triggers additional aid will depend in part on how much documented damage the county can show. As we reported Sunday, DeWine has also sought FEMA assistance for flood recovery in the Gahanna area.
What happened
Heavy rain dumped between 3 and 4.5 inches in a few hours on Thursday, Aug. 20, on top of nearly a foot of rain that had already fallen across parts of Licking County in the prior two weeks, according to The Reporting Project. The Licking County Sheriff's Office responded to more than half a dozen water rescues that day as drivers attempted to cross flooded roads, and Interstate 70 closed in both directions near State Route 79, according to 10TV. It was only the third time in a decade that flooding forced the interstate to close in that area.
In New Albany, police issued a hazardous high-water alert on Aug. 20, warning motorists about flooding on Morse Road, Beech Road and S.R. 161. Licking Heights Local Schools went on a two-hour delay.
How to report
Licking County residents should email [email protected] with:
- Contact information
- Property address
- Brief description of the damage
No deadline has been announced. Residents in the Franklin County portion of New Albany should use the Franklin County portal at franklincountyohio.gov/fcemhs.
