Mason and Deerfield Township residents who suffered storm damage in August could soon qualify for federal housing grants, rental assistance and low-interest loans.

Gov. Mike DeWine sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Sept. 2, requesting a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Ohio counties, WLWT reported. Hamilton County, which includes Mason and Deerfield Township, is on the list.

If approved, the declaration would activate the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individual Assistance Grant Program. That means grants for temporary housing and home repairs, rental assistance, replacement of personal property, crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.

The request also asks the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to offer low-interest loans for uninsured property losses and for FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to help reduce future disaster losses.

"Federal assistance will be critical in helping the Ohioans impacted by last month's severe weather recover and move forward with their lives," DeWine said in a statement accompanying the request.

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, a derecho with straight-line winds reaching 68 mph battered Hamilton County from roughly 2:56 p.m. to 3:47 p.m., according to Signal Cincinnati. Nick Crossley, director of the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency, called it the county's third derecho in 25 years, following events in 2012 and 2008. "It was quite a crazy hour," Crossley said at a Hamilton County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 26.

That single storm knocked out power for about 82,000 Duke Energy customers in Hamilton County, the most of any county in the region, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Mason was named in a flash flood advisory that day, with 1 to 1.5 inches of rain already on the ground. The city was also under a severe thunderstorm warning with potential hail and winds up to 60 mph.

Statewide, the National Weather Service confirmed 17 tornadoes between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23. FEMA and SBA preliminary damage assessments across all 23 counties found at least 50 homes and businesses destroyed, 806 with major damage and 475 with minor damage. Two people died, at least four were injured and emergency responders conducted roughly 59 water rescues.

Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), said the federal assistance would support local and state recovery efforts and aid homeowners, renters and businesses.

DeWine's letter now goes to the White House for review. No timeline for a federal decision has been announced.