Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program Application Period Open

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is offering rebates to homeowners who install a tornado safe room.

Details are in the following news release from the Ohio EMA.

Homeowners throughout Ohio now have the opportunity to apply to receive reimbursement for the purchase and construction/installation of a tornado safe room inside or outside their homes.

A safe room is a structure specifically designed to provide protection in extreme weather events. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency’s (Ohio EMA) rebate program provides a rebate of up to 75 percent to homeowners selected for the program.

Ohio EMA is accepting applications for its Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program, January 4 through February 4, 2022.

“In neighboring Kentucky last month, a catastrophic tornado killed close to 100 people, and Ohio has seen its own share of deadly tornadoes as well,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Because our entire state is vulnerable to tornadoes, we’re offering these rebates to help cover some of the costs associated with the added protection of a safe room.”

Last year, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that twenty-eight tornadoes touched down in Ohio, including the December 11, 2021 EF-1 tornado in Hardin County, and two separate “tornado outbreaks” in October 2021 that totaled fourteen different tornadoes.

“Safe rooms offer protection to a tornado’s strong winds and resulting airborne debris and provides near-absolute protection for occupants,” said Ohio EMA Executive Director Sima Merick. “We urge Ohioans to apply for these grants.”

This is the ninth year for the Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program. To date, more than $1.9 million in rebates have been awarded to homeowners for the construction of more than 250 safe rooms across the state.

Safe rooms can be constructed/installed in one of several places in the home, including in the basement; beneath a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor; or in an interior room on the first floor. A safe room may also be buried in the yard or be a stand-alone structure near the home.

The deadline to apply to participate in the Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program is February 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM.

Residents selected for the program are eligible for a rebate up to 75 percent of the cost to install or construct a safe room – up to a maximum of $4,875.

For more information and to apply, visit the Ohio EMA Safe Room Rebate Program webpage.