Clermont County EMA moves to recovery after Ohio River flooding; damage assessment, dumpsters and donations underway

Pam Hammercross of the Clermont County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) told the Board of County Commissioners on April 14 that the county is transitioning from response to recovery following recent Ohio River flooding.

Hammercross said the emergency unified command and joint EOC operations were demobilized last Thursday but that recovery coordination calls with partner agencies will continue. The county is finishing a damage assessment to determine whether it meets thresholds for public assistance through the state or FEMA. She said the county-level threshold is about $989,000 (a per-capita calculation) and the state’s threshold for a broader declaration is more than $22 million. On the individual assistance side, the county must document at least 25 major or destroyed private properties without sufficient insurance to qualify for individual assistance; Hammercross said the county was not near that threshold at the time of the update.

Hammercross described ongoing logistical work: donated supplies are being distributed through staging points including First Baptist Church in New Richmond and River of Life Church; financial donations can be made at Park National Bank and through ConnectClermont directed for disaster relief; and the solid waste district is providing roll-off dumpsters at identified locations for flood debris (not for routine household trash). She said the county is working with contractors and faith-based groups and will assess household hazardous waste needs before disposal. Volunteer and faith-based partners mentioned in the briefing include Crossroads Masters of Disasters, American Regulators (a local Goshen group), Southern Baptist groups and Team Rubicon.

Nut graf: The update outlined the county’s path from immediate response to an organized recovery, emphasizing damage documentation to qualify for public assistance and operational logistics for debris removal and donated-supply distribution.

Hammercross explained that for public assistance the county and local jurisdictions must document emergency response overtime, debris-management costs and infrastructure repair estimates (roads, bridges and boat ramps). She said local governments should document pre-event conditions with photos to distinguish flood damage from deferred maintenance and reminded residents that dumpster usage is intended for flood-related debris and is time-limited.

Commissioners publicly recognized county staff for relief work. Commissioner David L. Painter called Wade (county staff) to the podium and thanked him for coordinating donations and supply distribution; several village mayors also emailed praise for Wade’s efforts. Hammercross said she and county staff are coordinating a long-term recovery committee to identify unmet needs and plan for continued assistance.

Ending: Hammercross said recovery calls and damage-assessment work would continue and that the county would update commissioners as totals and eligibility analyses are completed.