Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wants to use state funds to help people affected by the EF-3 tornado that tore through Indian Lake in Logan County on March 14 — leaving three people dead and many homes destroyed.
He has recently been talking to lawmakers in the House and the Senate about using funds to help those who were displaced by the tornadoes.
“We have a number of people whose homes are gone,” DeWine said at a Tuesday morning press conference at Indian Lake State Park.
“Many of them had no insurance, so they’re totally out,” he said. “What we want to do is figure out a way so that we can make sure that they can get housing quickly, but, also, we have to worry about the long run. … We have some families who’ve been here several generations and we want them to be able to stay.”
He said the goal is to finalize the plan for the funds by the next Ohio Controlling Board meeting on April 15, but DeWine said he doesn’t have a specific number in mind for the funds.
DeWine doesn’t think the aid plan will have any problem passing through the Statehouse — despite last year being one of the legislature’s least productive years in terms of passing bills.
“I have no fear that anything in the Statehouse is going to slow this down,” DeWine said. “We may have disagreements about other things. There’s no disagreement that Indian Lake is important. The people here are important. We have to help.”
Indian Lake State Park reopens
Indian Lake State Park reopened to the public last Friday and expects to see lots of visitors for Monday’s solar eclipse.
“We are open for business,” said Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz. “The state park is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. We anticipate a full campground; we anticipate a whole weekend of activities; we anticipate a great Monday.”
The rest of the city continues to deal with the aftermath of the tornadoes. Homes and trailer parks are demolished, leaving behind only piles of rubble and debris. Many homes that remain standing have boarded-up windows.
“If you look today versus day one, it’s amazing how this community has rallied together, both for individuals and for businesses,” said state rep. Jon Cross, R-Findlay. “We’re going to take this very seriously and quickly try to address this with some financial dollars to help.”
DeWine asks for relief
DeWine requested a FEMA Presidential Disaster Declaration from the White House last week. This would allow FEMA aid for eligible damages that have not been reimbursed by other government programs or private insurance. But it could take a while before he hears back.
“We hope that that’s not true,” he said. “But they’re telling us this could take a long time. There is no guarantee that we will get this Presidential Declaration.”
As part of the FEMA request, DeWine is starting the process of activating the federal Small Business Administration’s relief program, which would give low-interest loans to businesses and individuals to cover eligible damages.
Displaced Indian Lake families
About 250 families were displaced by the tornadoes, said state Rep. Tim Barhorst, R-Fort Loramie.
Some families who were displaced have been relocated to hotels miles away from Indian Lake, making it hard for kids to get to school, DeWine said.
“We’re very, very concerned about the kids being out of school,” he said.
Logan County Commissioner Joe Antrim said the main goal is to find housing that’s safe for residents.
“Every resident, every community member, every person, every family, every student at Indian Lake is precious to us,” Antrim said. “And we certainly don’t want to lose any of these people because they somehow feel like they no longer have a place in Indian Lake or Logan County.”
This story was originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal and republished here with permission.
