DeWine declares state of emergency for 8 Northeast Ohio counties

On Saturday, Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for several Northeast Ohio counties following Tuesday’s storms that left communities with extensive damage and a lack of power.

The state of emergency is for the following eight counties:

• Ashtabula
• Cuyahoga
• Geauga
• Lake
• Lorain
• Portage
• Summit
• Trumbull

“This declaration of a state of emergency will give the state the ability to give these communities expedited assistance. At the moment, we have no outstanding requests for services the State can provide to our local communities to help in the aftermath of these storms,” DeWine said. “However, we are in this for the duration and will continue to help local communities in Northeast Ohio as they recover from the damage left by the storm, should we receive any new request for services the State is able to provide.”
Earlier in the day, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne urged DeWine to make this call, stating the need for additional resources and funding warrants waiving the threshold requirements.

In order to qualify for assistance a county would need to reach $5.9 million in relief costs.

Friday, DeWine issued a proclamation for assistance stating, “all State departments and agencies to be at the ready and to utilize their personnel and resources as necessary to protect the lives, safety, health, and property of the citizens of Ohio and to assist with recovery efforts in communities impacted by this severe weather event if needed and requested by local authorities.”

In addition to the declaration of emergency, DeWine said he has requested the state’s emergency management director to ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to come to the area and conduct a damage assessment.

DeWine said that, to date, the request for state assistance has been for mobile oxygen generators, which have been sent by the Ohio Department of Health.

Other state agencies have been monitoring the condition of Northeast Ohio, and county Emergency Management Agencies (EMA) are working with communities to conduct damage assessments for possible reimbursement.

The county EMAs will then submit their requests for assistance to the state EMA, DeWine said.

“I encourage local governments who need assistance to contact their County Emergency Management Agency Offices,” DeWine said.