The tornado recovery grant will go to Rebuilding Together Dayton, the foundation said Wednesday.
“This grant is especially important for those who are still suffering from the impact of last year’s tornadoes on their homes,” said Holly Wiggins, director for DP&L Foundation.
After last year’s tornadoes, the DP&L Foundation Board set up a fund to allow AES (DP&L’s parent company) and AES employees worldwide to contribute to the Dayton region’s long-term recovery, the foundation said.
The grant from this fund will allow tornado recovery projects to move forward, “helping to lift our community and accelerate the long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts that have slowed due to the COVID-19 shutdowns,” the foundation said in an announcement Wednesday. “The recovery efforts will continue for years to come, but we want to see the work being done now, as the weather warms.”
“We know the majority of homeowners affected by the tornadoes are not comfortable placing a lien on their home if the repairs exceed $10,000,” said Amy Radachi, president and chief executive of Rebuilding Together Dayton. “The support from DP&L and AES employees is providing critical gap funding to keep our most vulnerable neighbors in their homes.”
Late on Memorial Day last year, an EF4 twister churned at an estimated maximum wind speed of 170 mph, carving a path of damage more than a half mile wide for nearly 20 miles across Montgomery County. Tornadoes struck other parts of Ohio and the Midwest and the South that day, as well.
In all, a record 19 twisters hit Ohio May 27 and early May 28 last year.
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