Some Barberton residents who live in a flood-prone area of 14th street will have the opportunity to relocate thanks to a $595,000 federal grant.
The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be used to acquire and demolish 15 homes in the low-lying area next to Wolf Creek. Mayor William Judge said that area will be turned into greenspace.
"So it’ll flood there versus someone’s basement or someone’s home," Judge said. "Now obviously it would be better if all the homes were purchased and [demolished], but again all the homeowners had to meet certain criteria established by FEMA and some of them didn’t meet the criteria."
Homeowners must take the appraised value for their home. They also need to have flood insurance and a recorded history of repetitive flooding.
Judge says residents are encouraged to report any flooding to the city to help secure grants and flood-mitigation programs in the future.
