CROOKSVILLE, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine visited displaced residents and toured storm-ravaged areas of Perry and Muskingum counties Wednesday, a day after declaring a state of emergency in both counties following severe flooding.
DeWine declared the emergency Tuesday afternoon after storms dumped six to seven inches of rain on the area, triggering widespread flooding that damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure, according to the governor’s office.
“These are resilient communities, and they will come back from this,” DeWine said in a statement. “The next step is to conduct assessments to determine the extent of the damage across Perry, Muskingum, and the other Ohio counties impacted by flooding and wind damage.”
Earlier Wednesday, DeWine toured parts of Franklin County that were hit by straight-line wind damage. As of 3:30 p.m., statewide power outages tied to the storms totaled 171,575 customers, the governor’s office said.
Southern Ohio saw its own damage from the same system, with Scioto County crews working through Tuesday night to clear roads blocked by downed trees after the storms moved through the region.
DeWine warned that additional storms forecast to move through Ohio Wednesday night could bring more flash flooding.
“Ohioans should continue to remain vigilant and take all weather warnings seriously,” DeWine said in a statement. “The National Weather Service is forecasting more storms throughout Ohio tonight that could cause flash flooding. If you encounter high water, please do not attempt to cross it.”
The Ohio National Guard, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio State Highway Patrol are assisting local authorities in the affected counties, and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency remains in contact with county and state partners to address local needs, according to the release.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
