Cleveland, OH

Northeast Ohio natives living in California give their account of the impact of the California wildfires

Published

1 year ago

January 10, 2025

Northeast Ohio natives living in California give their account of the impact of the California wildfires

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – As deadly wildfires tear through southern California, we’re getting a first-hand account from some Northeast Ohio natives caught right in the inferno.

Kaylie Harden of Cleveland can see the gigantic flames and smoke from her balcony. She lives in an apartment on the Hollywood borderneighborhoods and has a suitcase packed just in case she’s forced to evacuate like thousands of others, “This is so devastating because a large portion of what’s been burned is neighborhoods and communities. When you get an evacuation order, you have to look around your home and decide what things don’t matter and which ones really do. It’s a tough position for anyone to be in. Unfortunately, a lot of people have had to make those choices this weekend — lost everything that was left behind.”

Harden tells 19 News at one point the massive flames were spreading towards her apartment, “It definitely was growing down towards my street. Thankfully it seems like they got a good handle on restraining the part of the fire that was coming down the hill in my neighborhood’s direction.”

The Cleveland native says it’s frightening for residents not to know if the city officials have everything under control.

But most people are using several apps for the latest updates on efforts to control the fire, information on where you can go during an evacuation, and even information on animal shelters willing to foster pets during the crisis.

But she feels it’s not just the massive wildfires creating concern, but smaller fires that keep popping up and may get few resources because firefighters are working to save homes and lives that could be impacted by the larger wildfires. “There’s been fires all over the city and the scary thing is that the winds are so high that they’re able to carry the embers for a mile — which is causing little fires everywhere.”is

Mitch Pannito of Mayfield Heights is also currently in California near Encino and Studio City and says he has not been evacuated at this point even though he can see the fires from his apartment and his job.

He’s also concerned about the pop-up fires because they can quickly spread out of control, and firefighters are working overtime to try and control the much larger fires, “They’ve been closer, a lot closer relatively than these other ones are and that’s the most nerve-racking because you just never really know.”

Pannitto makes it clear he’s extremely thankful for the firefighters risking their own lives to try and protect others’ lives and property. But he says it’s heartbreaking that people have to evacuate and leave so much behind,

“It’s devastating. It’s really sad to see families and generations of homes that people are losing.”

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Cleveland, OH

Large pothole damages vehicles on I-90 east

Published

3 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

Large pothole damages vehicles on I-90 east

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A large pothole has damaged multiple vehicle on I-90 east during the Thursday morning commute.

This happened near Warren Road on the Cleveland/Lakewood border.

Police said at least 12 vehicles suffered damage and at least three were undriveable. There are no reports of injuries.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews were called to the scene to make repairs.

This caused a major back-up for drivers coming from the west side.

At 7:15 a.m., the drive-time from Westlake to Cleveland was a total of 45 minutes. Normally, that drive takes about 10 minutes

Large pothole on I-90 east at Warren Road on the Cleveland/Lakewood border(Julia Thyret | (Source: ODOT))

19 News went to Rad Air who took several calls from drivers needing repair help after hitting the pot hole.

Manager Paul Arlesic says pot holes can cause a lot of damage.

“Just a tire, you could be anywhere from 190 dollars. If it’s up to suspension repair and wheel repair you could be looking into the thousands,” said Arlesic.

He wants to remind drivers to get regular maintenance on their vehicles. Arlesic says even if you don’t see immediate damage hitting a pot hole causes a wear and tear.

“Every crack in the road, that tires going up and down, the struts working up and down. All the suspension is constantly moving,” said Arlesic.

ODOT was able to fill in the pot hole on I-90 Thursday morning.

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Cleveland, OH

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio

Published

16 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The National Weather Service confirmed another tornado after Tuesday evening’s severe thunderstorms.

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Chesterland in Geauga County with an estimated 100 MPH peak wind speed.

It touched down at about 5:49 p.m. and lifted at 5:51 p.m.

The tornado traveled 1.53 miles with a width of 120 yards, NWS confirmed.

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio(WOIO)

Tornado warnings were issued in these counties:

Cuyahoga
Geauga
Holmes
Lake
Stark
Wayne

19 News reached out first responders in the areas where tornado sirens were set off, but there was no significant damage reported.

However, many remain without power on Thursday.

Check the outage maps by FirstEnergy, Cleveland Public Power, and AEP for the latest developments.

Get the latest on the severe weather on the 19 First Alert Forecast webpage

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Cleveland, OH

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Trolls Fans With Hilarious April Fools’ Day Post

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Trolls Fans With Hilarious April Fools’ Day Post

Dan Gilbert will forever be a hero in the city of Cleveland for the way he runs the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is not afraid to spend his money in the pursuit of winning. That is all fans can ask for in an owner.

His work in Cleveland makes it easy to forget he is a Michigan native and was specifically born in Detroit. Thus, the Michigan ties run deep.

That is why some fans may have been shocked when they saw a tweet Gilbert put out Wednesday morning. Yet all people had to do was check the calendar and read closely to figure out it was all a joke.

Introducing our proposed name for Cleveland’s new WNBA team… THE Ohio Wolverines.
The Midwest work ethic is a real thing. As someone who has spent a lot of time on both sides of the lake, I can tell you that Ohio and Michigan have far more similarities than differences.
We’re… pic.twitter.com/DC2cISudxh
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) April 1, 2026

His pitch? Calling Cleveland’s new WNBA team the “Ohio Wolverines.”

Dan Gilbert has fun at the expense of Cleveland fans

Gilbert even goes as far to suggest the Detroit WNBA franchise call itself the “Michigan Buckeyes.” What he is not joking about is calling Lake Erie “the Midwest’s own Mediterranean.” That is no April Fools’ exaggeration.

The replies seem to show most people understood it as a joke. Yet there are certainly people who were clearly duped, perhaps too prideful to share it on social media.

Gilbert has the grace and goodwill among Cleveland fans to make a joke like this. What would have happened if Jimmy Haslam made a joke on social media to this magnitude? That would have been enough to power local talk shows for a week.

The Dolans, owners of the Guardians, would also not find a big sense of humor among fans.

Gilbert’s spending allows him to get away with these fun pranks

The Cavaliers are among a handful of teams spending over $200 million in cash on player salaries this season. Guardians fans could only dream of such spending, and MLB does not even have a salary cap. Thus, fans are often on Gilbert’s side for his commitment to winning.

This post also reminds fans of the coming WNBA franchise, which will debut in 2028. That team will only add to Gilbert’s portfolio in the city.

His Cavs are also among the favorites to win the NBA title in 2026.

The excitement only continues in the summer, win or lose, as rumors of another LeBron return will loom over the franchise. Such a move would likely be the next time fans would be talking about a Dan Gilbert social media post.