Storm guide · Central Ohio

Flooded in central Ohio in August? What to check now

By the Honest Mold Test Editorial Team · Researched from authoritative sources (incl. EPA/FEMA guidance) · Published October 2026

The August 2026 storms put water into a lot of central Ohio basements. The worst of it came overnight August 19 into August 20, when 4 to 7 inches fell across parts of Franklin and Licking counties. Near Nocturne Road and Briarcliff Road in Reynoldsburg, basements flooded completely and crews carried out water rescues. Pataskala, Hebron, Buckeye Lake and the Greenbriar Village area near Hebron flooded as Raccoon Creek and the South Fork of the Licking River rose, and Thornville saw flooding too.

That was about six weeks ago. On October 2, a federal major disaster declaration (DR-4945-OH) opened FEMA assistance for individual households in Franklin, Licking, Perry, Muskingum, Morgan, Hamilton and Clermont counties. If your basement took water and you cleaned up on your own, this page is for you. You may not need to spend anything on mold at all. Here is how to tell.

Six weeks later: what actually matters

Mold needs moisture that stays. EPA guidance is that wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually do not grow mold. So the question now is not whether water got in. It is whether anything stayed damp.

Check these, in this order:

1. Your nose. A musty, earthy smell in the basement that was not there before August is the most useful early sign.
2. The bottom of the drywall. Press the lowest foot of finished walls. Soft, crumbly or stained board stayed wet. Look behind baseboards if you can pull one.
3. Carpet and pad. If wall-to-wall carpet got soaked and was dried in place rather than pulled, lift a corner and look at the pad and the tack strip.
4. Stored things. Cardboard boxes, books, upholstered furniture and anything stacked against a wall.
5. The furnace and ductwork. If the furnace or low ducts sat in water, have them checked before you run heat this fall. Heating season will spread whatever is in there.

An inexpensive moisture meter will tell you more than a mold test at this stage. Wall readings that stay high days after the last rain mean water is still getting in or never left.

Do you need a mold test?

Often, no. If you can see mold, EPA says sampling is usually unnecessary: you already know, and the job is to remove the wet material and fix the moisture. Testing earns its cost when you smell mustiness but cannot find a source, when you are buying or selling, or when a landlord or insurer disputes what happened. Our cost guide lays out the honest price ranges.

For a small area (EPA uses roughly 10 square feet as the line), most homeowners can handle cleanup themselves with gloves, an N95, and bagging the material. Larger areas, or mold inside walls or ductwork, are where a professional makes sense.

FEMA assistance is open now

Because the declaration includes Individual Assistance, homeowners and renters in the seven listed counties can apply for help with home repairs, temporary housing and other needs that insurance does not cover.

• Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or in the FEMA app.
• FEMA sets a registration deadline, usually about 60 days after the declaration. Check DisasterAssistance.gov for the exact date.
• Have your photos, receipts for cleanup supplies, and any insurance decision letters ready. A denial from your insurer is often part of what FEMA needs to see.
• FEMA does not charge to apply. Nobody legitimate will ask you to pay to "speed up" your application.

Most homeowners policies exclude flood and surface water. Some cover sewer or drain backup only with a rider. If a backup came through a floor drain, read your policy before assuming the answer is no.

Small businesses and households can also apply for low-interest SBA disaster loans at sba.gov/disaster.

Is it urgent, or can you slow down? An honest triage

Renters: an Ohio note

Ohio law (ORC 5321.04) requires landlords to keep rental units fit and habitable and to make repairs needed to do that. Report flood damage and any mold to your landlord in writing and keep a copy. Renters in the declared counties can also apply to FEMA for help with personal property and temporary housing. See our renters guide.

A note on storm-chasing contractors

After a declaration, door-knockers follow the money. Be wary of anyone who wants a large deposit up front, asks you to sign over insurance or FEMA payments, pressures you to decide today, or will not give a written estimate. Get more than one quote and check that any contractor has the license and insurance the work requires.

Frequently asked

It has been six weeks and I see nothing. Am I in the clear?
Probably, if there is no smell, no staining and dry readings. Mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours on materials that stay wet, so six weeks is long enough for a problem to show itself.

Can I apply to FEMA if I already paid for cleanup?
Yes. Keep receipts. FEMA assistance may cover eligible costs you already paid that insurance did not.

Will bleach fix it?
Not on drywall or wood. Porous material with mold growth should be removed. Bleach is for hard, non-porous surfaces, and never mixed with ammonia.