The last day to sign up for the Nelsonville Water Abatement Policy is January 10, 2021. The Nelsonville Water Office will still accept abatement policies due to the delayed mail. Abatement policies can be dropped off in the city’s drop box located at the entrance to City Hall. Please contact the Water Office if there are questions, at 740-753-2151.
The Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program is once again offering rebates to help Ohio homeowners construct/install tornado safe rooms on their properties.
A safe room is a structure specifically designed to provide near-absolute protection in extreme weather events and can be installed 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 Ohio Emergency Management Agency’s rebate program provides a rebate of up to $4,875 to homeowners selected to participate in the program.
In 2019, the National Weather Service confirmed 21 tornadoes struck Ohio during the late night/early morning of May 27-28. The tornadoes killed two people and caused an estimated $1 billion in damages, proving to be the most destructive natural disaster in Ohio history.
Following this series of tornadoes, more than 800 Ohio homeowners applied to be part of the Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program in 2020. Driving the record-number of applications for the program was west central Ohio, with about half of the applicants from Montgomery and surrounding counties.
“The 2019 Memorial Day Tornado Outbreak included one EF4 tornado, three EF3 tornadoes, and four EF2s, with the EF4 producing winds up to 170 miles per hour,” said Ohio EMA Director Sima Merick. “A tornado safe room is built to withstand wind speeds up to 250 mph, or an EF5 tornado, and can provide occupants near-absolute protection from damaging winds and airborne debris.”
Funding for the rebate program is through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. Safe rooms must meet FEMA requirements in FEMA publications 320 and 361 and cannot be constructed/installed prior to the rebate drawing and notification to proceed with construction from Ohio EMA. Ohio EMA offers this rebate program annually when HMA funding is available. The amount of HMA funding determines the number of rebates available for safe room construction or installation.
The Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program uses a computerized random selection process to select applicants. A priority list of applicants will be created from the selected applicants. Ohio homeowners have until 5 p.m. March 5, 2021 to apply. Chosen homeowners will be notified by e-mail of their position on the priority list on or after March 12. Ohio EMA anticipates grant funding to become available this year and will develop a list of participants who meet program requirements and will expedite the rebate process.
Due to social distancing recommendations on preventing the spread of the COVID-19, Nelsonville City Council will be meeting in regular session Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7PM via a virtual meeting. The public may not attend the meeting in person. The meeting will be live streamed from the City of Nelsonville Facebook Page, (City of Nelsonville, Ohio, @nelsonvillecity). Citizens comments and business and organizational comments may be made online. The public is invited and encouraged to attend virtually online.
The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for Athens County in effect from 5:00AM until 10:00AM, Friday, 1/1/2021.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS:
Slow down and use caution while traveling. Prepare for possible power outages.
Additional information can be found at https://www.weather.gov/rlx as well as on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
The City of Nelsonville announces that all City offices will be closed on Friday, January 1, 2021 in observance of the New Year Holiday. City offices will re-open for business on Monday, January 4, 2021 for regular business hours. We wish everyone a Safe and Healthy New Year!
The City of Nelsonville City Council held a virtual regular meeting Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 7PM. The meeting was streamed on the City of Nelsonville Facebook Page (City of Nelsonville, Ohio, @nelsonvillecity).
12/28/2020, 2:00PM – The snow emergency for Athens County has been canceled. Please drive carefully some hazardous road conditions may still exist in remote areas of the county.
12/26/2020, 2:00PM – Athens County is under a LEVEL 1 SNOW EMERGENCY. Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be icy. Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.
12/25/202, SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT: Melted snowfall and slush across many area roadways will quickly refreeze this evening and overnight. This will result in areas of slick and icy roadways for much of the area, especially on any untreated and secondary roads. In addition, periods of light snowfall this evening will reduce visibility at times making traveling even more treacherous.
The slick and icy areas will be hard to see, so exercise extreme caution if you must travel tonight. If traveling, slow down and allow extra driving distance between you and other vehicles.
12/24/2020, 6:35PM – Athens County is under a LEVEL 2 SNOW EMERGENCY. Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution!
City of Nelsonville, Ohio Information Blog 