A second flash flood east of Columbus this weekend led to numerous water rescues and even more damage to homes and businesses.
“People are losing everything in their homes and their apartments,” Perry County Commissioner Chase Bennett said Aug. 17. “From an initial state of just absolute devastation − and then we’re putting together efforts for cleanup, for relief, and then to have all of that washed away again in a second flood − it’s just from one level of devastation to another.”
After intense thunderstorms barreled through central Ohio last week, more heavy rain over the weekend led to the National Guard being redeployed to Perry, Morgan and Muskingum counties. Additional rain is still impacting the area.
Gov. Mike DeWine said the Ohio National Guard is connecting with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to provide direct support to first responders in all three counties.
Bennett said the flooding requires an all-hands-on-deck approach to get the area back to its original state.
The state resources will be helping with traffic control, debris cleanup on roadways and public spaces, bagging for water control and food distribution to those in need, according to a press release from the governor.
Repairs to three bridges in Crooksville that were damaged is a specific focus, according to an Ohio Emergency Management Agency spokesperson. First responders are distributing bottled water to residents and are accepting items at a donation center set up in Roseville Middle School, 76 W. Athens Road.
“Ohio has been in the heart of the summer storm systems that have crossed the Midwest since early last week,” DeWine said. “Communities in Perry, Muskingum, and Morgan counties have unfortunately been affected again by this latest round of storms, and we are sending additional state help to local first responders.”
Bennett said although Crooksville City is “ground zero” for the flooding, other towns like Roseville and Corning Villages and Junction City have taken serious hits as well, with severe damage done to houses and businesses.
“These resources that are coming from ODOT and from the National Guard are giving us boots on the ground to begin this debris cleanup,” Bennett said, emphasizing that government officials from the county and state are working around the clock.
New Lexington also had severe flooding, and Bennett said first responders conducted “extensive” water rescues and evacuations there over the weekend. The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter in the area, and after additional flooding Aug. 15 going into Aug. 16, about 50 residents were staying there.
There is no exact timeline for how long it will take to fix the damage, but some homes were flooded with about three feet of water, leading to damaged appliances and compromised structural integrity, according to the Zanesville Times Recorder.
“Water is one of the most devastating forces in our world and it’s going to be weeks, months and − I hate to say it − even years to come,” Bennett said. “We’re going to be rebuilding the businesses lost and it’s going to be a while.”
Bennett said he’s never seen a disaster of this scale in Perry County. His parents, who live on a farm in the area, were stranded on their property because of the storms, and his siblings were impacted by the damage as well. He knows many other residents are in the same boat.
“My old football coach always said, ‘Find the people that you want in your foxhole and stick with them,'” Bennett said. “Perry County’s full of those people right now. I’m very proud of the efforts and it makes my heart warm to see everyone coming together in this moment.”
While there hasn’t been any damage to the Perry County schools, Bennett said there may be some trouble with transportation as buses and cars have to drive on damaged roads. He said while they don’t expect to cancel school in the coming days, they will take the situation as it comes.
Perry County had a significant number of power outages after last week’s storms, but power has been almost entirely restored, according to the live outage map from AEP Ohio.
One death due to flooding has been confirmed in Perry County. Another man was killed in Zanesville Aug. 16 when a tree fell on him.
This story was updated with additional information.
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Second flash flood devastates Perry County as National Guard deploys
Reporting by Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
