FEMA Approves $7.7 Million to Rehabilitate Wolf Creek Dam in Barberton

CHICAGO - Today, FEMA awards $7.7 million to the city of Barberton, Ohio to rehabilitate Wolf Creek Dam, which will enhance the community's resilience to flood events and protect the city's drinking water supply. This award represents the second phase of a $8.5 million grant.

This funding is part of the more than $137 million that FEMA announced today for more than 50 projects nationwide. Under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's leadership, FEMA is working diligently to address the backlog of funding requests. Even 69 days into the current lapse in appropriations, the longest ever in U.S history, DHS and FEMA are delivering resources to states across the country.

The Wolf Creek Dam is a high-hazard dam that was completed 100 years ago. It plays a critical role in protecting lives, property and vital resources in northeast Ohio. The dam is a crucial component of delivering clean, reliable drinking water to the 29,000 residents of Barberton, making its rehabilitation essential to public safety. The project addresses structural upgrades, improves safety measures and ensures compliance with current engineering standards. These updates will reduce the risk of dam failure and strengthen the region's preparedness to handle future heavy rain and flood events.

This award is distributed through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which empowers states, local governments, tribal nations, and territories to complete activities and projects that mitigate risk to future hazards and enhance community resilience. For this project, FEMA will pay 90% of eligible project cost and the remaining 10% will be provided by the city of Barberton. FEMA will also provide an additional $476,930 in sub-recipient management costs to assist the city of Barberton in managing this grant.