Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for multiple Northeast Ohio counties on Saturday following severe storms and tornadoes earlier in the week. The affected counties include:
- Ashtabula
- Cuyahoga
- Geauga
- Lake
- Lorain
- Portage
- Summit
- Trumbull
The declaration comes after Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne urged Gov. DeWine on Sunday to waive the state-imposed $5.9 million threshold required to declare a state of emergency. Although the counties have not yet reached that amount in damages, they are expected to soon.
In his letter to Gov. DeWine, Ronayne emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that power utilities have warned electricity may not be fully restored until late next week. He stressed that recovery efforts will take weeks, if not months, and ongoing support from state departments and agencies is essential to help residents, businesses, and local communities recover from the storm’s impact.
Ohio Emergency Management Director Sima Merick has been directed by Gov. DeWine to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess the damage.