Dublin-area families hit by August storms can now apply for up to $1,500 in state emergency reimbursements after the Ohio Controlling Board approved $500,000 in disaster aid.

The board approved the funding on Monday, Sept. 14. Dublin sits in Franklin County, one of four counties covered by the program alongside Morgan, Muskingum and Perry counties. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) requested the money, which comes from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Local county job and family services offices will handle the reimbursements, WBNS reported. Reimbursements range from $750 to $1,500, with the maximum going to families with children in the hardest-hit areas, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

The program expands who qualifies beyond the usual TANF rules. Normally, cash support is limited to families with children earning under 200% of the federal poverty level, or people over 55 or disabled. The emergency funding opens eligibility to households earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. That threshold is $47,880 for an individual and $99,000 for a family of four, according to the Dispatch.

People under 55 without children or a disability can also apply under the expanded rules.

State Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, developed the funding plan and brought it before the Controlling Board. "I urge the DeWine administration to act quickly to get this much needed funding out as soon as possible," Schaffer said after the Sept. 14 vote.

The aid is tied to Gov. Mike DeWine's state of emergency declaration for the four counties. DeWine sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Sept. 3 requesting a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Ohio counties, including Franklin. That request remained pending as of Sept. 14.

If the federal declaration is approved, the state emergency funding will end and FEMA assistance will take over. Preliminary damage assessments found at least 50 homes and businesses destroyed across the 23 counties, with 806 suffering major damage and 475 minor damage, according to Spectrum News 1. Between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23, Ohio documented 17 tornadoes, four injuries and two deaths statewide.

Dublin-area residents in Franklin County can contact the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services to begin the reimbursement process at 1-844-640-6446.