COLUMBIANA — The second and final round of federal funding has been released for one of the many storm water projects that are ongoing in the city.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Ohio Emergency Management Agency have announced that $664,596 has been released to the city for new storm sewers in the area of East Park Avenue, Friend Street, Pittsburgh Street and Fairfield Avenue neighborhoods.

FEMA said the new storm sewers will help prevent flooding by directing stormwater to a local tributary of Mill Creek.

This award is the final increment of a $1.4 million total grant through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and is the third FEMA-funded project since 2022 to address flood issues throughout Columbiana by upgrading and installing new sewer systems, FEMA said.

The city was first notified in 2022 that it would be awarded federal grant funds for this project.

The city’s local cost share for the grant is $162,732.

“We’re extremely grateful to be completing these projects that have been needed for many years. We’ve been working closely with Ohio EMA to complete these projects,” City Manager Lance Willard said.

FEMA also said in the announcement that an additional $1.3 million was previously awarded through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and HMGP grants.

The infrastructure improvements will protect homes and businesses from flood damage, enhance public safety and strengthen the community’s resilience against future storms, FEMA said.

“This project funding will help create safer communities by reducing disaster losses and protecting lives and property from nuisance flooding issues,” Sima Merick, Executive Director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, said in the press release. “By installing new storm sewers, the City will lessen future flood risks in several neighborhoods.”