STORMS from page 1
personnel are being brought in tomorrow (Wednesday) morning from other areas of Ohio as well as out of state to aid in restoration efforts.”
Elsewhere in Ohio, firefighters rescued two people who were trapped under a bridge Tuesday when a river began rising, the Associated Press detailed. The two people were sleeping around 8:45 a.m. when the Scioto River started to rise, preventing them from returning to shore, the Columbus Fire Department reported. A fire department boat was sent to rescue them. No injuries were reported.
In southern Ohio, Mindy Broughton, 49, rushed into her mobile home Tuesday morning as hail began and winds picked up at the RV Park where she lives near Hanging Rock, the AP reported.
Broughton and her fiance hunkered down as the mobile home quickly began rocking, the AP detailed. Broughton told the wire service that her fiance used his body to shield her as the winds raged outside.
“I said I think we may die today,” she told AP.
As rain and storms move through the area Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS)
in Cleveland issued a weather advisory affecting several counties across Ohio, including Richland.
Additional advisory information extended to Ashland, Knox, Morrow, Holmes, and other areas. Residents across these regions are urged to prepare for severe weather conditions and potential flooding.
“There has been a slight shift southward with the greatest severe risk,” the weather service said via Twitter on Tuesday morning. “However stay weather alert with all hazards remaining possible.”
Meanwhile, the Ohio
Department of Transportation said on Wednesday morning that around 100 road closures were reported across the state due to flooding or debris. “Please don’t drive around barricades,” ODOT said in a social media post. “They are there for your safety.
Later in the day, a flood watch included Shelby.
A flood advisory was initially in effect until 11:45 a.m. Tuesday specifically targeting Richland, Ashland, Holmes, Knox, and Morrow counties in Ohio.
This advisory followed heavy rainfall overnight Monday, leading to minor flooding in low-lying
and poorly drained areas. Initial rainfall had already brought between 1 and 2 inches of water, with an anticipated additional 0.2 to 0.5 inches expected, the weather service said.
Communities within these counties, including Mount Vernon, Mount Gilead, Millersburg, Berlin, Walnut Creek, Loudonville, Fredericktown, Gambier, Cardington, Bellville, Centerburg, Danville, Killbuck, Holmesville, Glenmont, Chesterville, Nashville, Sparta, Farmerstown, and Winesburg, were in the advisory’s coverage area.
A hazardous weather outlook encompassed
a broader area, including Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula Inland, Hancock, Seneca, Huron, Medina, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, Wyandot, Crawford, Richland, Ashland, Wayne, Stark, Mahoning, and the Ashtabula Lakeshore regions, along with Northern and Southern Erie in Pennsylvania.
The weather service advised of possible severe showers and thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and possibly tornadoes. Spotter activation was deemed likely, and the weather service
encouraged the public to report any observed severe weather.
Residents in the affected areas were advised to avoid flooded roadways, adhering to the “Turn around, don’t drown” principle to prevent flood-related accidents.
With no hazardous weather expected from Wednesday through Monday, attention was focused on immediate preparedness and response to Tuesday’s weather threats.
For additional information and updates, visit the National Weather Service website at www. weather.gov.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.