NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for eight counties in Northeast Ohio on Saturday evening.
Governor DeWine issued the statement for the following county:
- Ashtabula
- Cuyahoga
- Geauga
- lake
- Lorraine
- Portage
- summit
- Trumbull
Governor DeWine said the declaration came after tornadoes and severe storms on Tuesday.
“Declaring a state of emergency gives the state the ability to provide rapid assistance to these communities. At this time, we do not have any outstanding requests for services the state can provide to our communities following these storms,” said Governor DeWine. “However, we are here for the duration of the emergency measures and will continue to help Northeast Ohio communities recover from the damage left by the storm if we receive new requests for services the state can provide.”
Governor DeWine also directed Ohio Emergency Management Director Sima Merick to request the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to come to northeast Ohio and conduct a damage assessment.
Governor DeWine also said:
Previously, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronaye issued a press release calling on Governor DeWine to waive the minimum requirement for declaring a state of emergency and declared a state of emergency for the county himself.
“Our communities need additional resources and funding to recover from last week’s storms and tornadoes. By lifting the thresholds, we can mobilize even more resources to support cities and communities in need,” Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said in a press release.
According to the press release, the Cuyahoga County Emergency Management Agency has worked closely with the Ohio Department of Public Health and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to catalog the damage and costs needed to meet the federal threshold of $5.9 million to declare a state of emergency.
Although this number has not yet been reached, the district expects to reach it soon, the press release states.
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