Governor John Kasich has issued an emergency declaration for 17 counties along the Ohio River in southern Ohio due to dangerous conditions resulting from severe storms and heavy rain. It allows the governor to use state resources, including activating the National Guard.
Impacted counties include Adams, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Clermont, Columbiana, Gallia, Hamilton, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Monroe, Meigs, Muskingum, Scioto, and Washington.
"Ohioans do a good job of looking out for each other and we're doing it again now also. Teams at the local level are hard at work and state teams have been coordinating with them and supporting them over the past week. As the weather and flooding are expected to get worse we're staying ahead of things by taking our readiness up to the next level and declaring an emergency where we expect the worst conditions. We'll quickly add to those areas as it’s needed. I urge people to stay safe by staying informed, not taking any chances and checking in on your neighbors, especially seniors and families with young kids. Call your local city, county or Red Cross if there's anyone who needs help. We'll get through this as we always do, by working together," said Kasich.
So far, Ohio storm and flood preparation efforts include deploying National Guard troops in response to local requests to help install floodgates along floodwalls. Other efforts include providing water pumps to Scioto and Lawrence counties, installing floodgates in the City of Portsmouth, and delivering sandbags to Athens County.