If you've already ripped out drywall or replaced a furnace after last month's east-side flooding, you're not too late.
City officials are urging Hyde Park, Oakley and Madisonville residents and business owners to file a claim with Cincinnati's $2 million emergency flood relief fund even if repairs are already underway, according to WLWT. Starting work on your home does not disqualify you.
Hyde Park resident Renee Bajorek told WKRC on July 27 that she had already completed drying and tear-out work costing thousands of dollars: "I can only imagine tens of thousands once we get into fixing up the flooring."
Residents who started repairs before the fund was announced are still eligible, city officials said.
How to file
Call the flood relief hotline: 513-323-7995, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Claims cover both sewer backups and overland flooding. If you already filed a Sewer Back-Up claim with the Metropolitan Sewer District, you do not need to call again — MSD and the city are sharing information, according to the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council.
What we don't know yet
The city has not released eligibility requirements or how much individual applicants could receive. Officials said that information is expected in the coming days, but no specific date has been announced. The fund supplements MSD's existing Sewer Backup Program and other financial relief or insurance proceeds. It does not replace them.
The damage so far
Hamilton County's preliminary assessment found 118 properties met FEMA's damage criteria after the July flooding — 89 residences and 29 businesses — but most damage was classified as minor. Only nine properties sustained major damage and none were destroyed, making federal disaster assistance unlikely.
The losses are real, though. Hyde Park resident Jacob Bailey told City Council he lost roughly $15,000 in property, including his car. Christina Rittenburg, also in Hyde Park, described at least $9,000 in documented costs: a $6,000 furnace and hot water heater repair, $2,800 in cleaning and restoration, mold remediation and a brand-new washer-dryer destroyed.
How we got here
Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 5, to double the relief fund from $1 million to $2 million by drawing an additional $1 million from the city's weather emergency reserve. Mayor Aftab Pureval had committed the initial $1 million. As we reported that day, council also ordered a long-term flood mitigation study and created a Flood Resilience Task Force.
"I hope this can be sufficient," Councilmember Mark Jeffreys said at the Aug. 5 meeting. "My expectation is that we may need a more sufficient response, but just know that we're listening."
What's next
- Eligibility details and award amounts: Expected soon from the city; no date set.
- Flood Resilience Task Force: Will study green infrastructure and watershed-based strategies, as we reported Aug. 6.
- Hotline remains open: 513-323-7995, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
