HILLSBORO, Ohio — Team Rubicon’s two-week storm recovery mission in Highland County closed out with more than $140,000 in documented volunteer labor and equipment value delivered to the county at no cost to taxpayers, the Highland County Emergency Management Agency said.
The veteran-led disaster relief nonprofit completed 101 work orders before wrapping up its deployment on Aug. 31, according to the EMA. Volunteer labor was valued at $135,843.52, and donated equipment and other resources added another $4,974.50, bringing the total documented investment in the county to $140,818.02.
Team Rubicon crews arrived in Highland County in mid-August after severe storms toppled trees and knocked out power lines across the county, with some of the heaviest damage reported south of U.S. Route 50. Volunteers, most of them military veterans working without pay, carried out debris removal, roof tarping and other cleanup work for residents throughout the deployment.
The EMA credited the Highland County Health Department, the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency, the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency for coordination and support throughout the response, and thanked the Paint Creek Joint EMS & Fire District for its partnership on the ground.
A number of local businesses helped feed and support the volunteers during their stay, the EMA said, including Papa John’s, Holtfield Station, Atomic Credit Union, First State Bank, Chuck Wait Tire and the Highland County Chamber of Commerce. Several area faith communities also opened their doors to house and feed the crew, including Hillsboro Church of Christ, Mowrystown Church of Christ, Hillsboro House of Deliverance COGOP, Mowrystown Presbyterian, Faithful Threads Bible Study, YWC Church of God Mountain Assembly and St. Thomas Aquinas.
“This kind of recovery takes a village, and Highland County showed up for its neighbors,” the EMA said in a statement thanking everyone who played a part in bringing the volunteers to the county and supporting them during their stay.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Highland County Emergency Management Agency.
