BATAVIA, Ohio — Power has been fully restored and every storm-related road closure in Clermont County has reopened, more than a week after a powerful storm system tore through the region, the county’s emergency management director told the Board of County Commissioners.
EMA Director Shawn Riley said outages had peaked at nearly 40,000 customers in the aftermath of the storm, according to a Facebook post from Clermont County. The National Weather Service has confirmed the system was a derecho, the county said. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a fast-moving band of thunderstorms; the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center classifies a storm as a derecho when its damage swath extends more than 240 miles and includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph along most of that path. Forecasters are still assessing whether multiple brief tornadoes also touched down during the storm, according to the county.
Riley told commissioners the hardest-hit areas were concentrated in central and eastern Clermont County, including Jackson, Stonelick and Williamsburg townships, according to the post.
With power and roads restored, the county said its recovery effort has shifted to debris management and cleanup. Volunteer organizations remain available to help residents who are unable to cut up and haul away downed trees on their own, the county said.
Residents who need help with storm-related cleanup on private property should first contact their township’s fire department, trustees or administration, according to the county. If the need can’t be handled locally, residents can reach Clermont County EMA at 513-732-7661 or [email protected], or visit ema.clermontcountyohio.gov/storm-relief.
The county also announced a food distribution event for storm-affected residents set for Friday, Aug. 21, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Williamsburg Community Mission Food Pantry, 330 Gay St. More than 1,600 pounds of frozen and fresh food will be distributed while supplies last, according to the county.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont County.