LOGAN COUNTY, Ohio — Logan County officials provided an update Friday afternoon on response and recovery efforts following last week’s deadly tornado that swept through the Orchard Island and Lakeview areas.
Helen Norris, Logan County's EMA director, said the response team recorded 133 structures destroyed, 164 with major damages, 421 minor damages and 178 affected properties in an initial damage assessment.
Students at Indian Lake Schools returned to school on Wednesday. About 96 students were displaced from their homes following the storm, according to Superintendent Rob Underwood.
Ben Vollrath, the public information officer for Logan County, said the next step for the county is FEMA coming in to conduct assessments.
More than 100 people have been displaced from their homes. Vollrath said there will also be a housing meeting coming up to determine how the county will set up temporary housing.
Residents who are looking for assistance can go to one of the multi-agency resource centers established by United Way. The center in Russells Point is located at 337 East Main St. and the Lakeview location is at 165 East Lake St.
Those who need help with debris removal can call the county's hotline at 844-965-1386. Vollrath said it is a free service where they can call in and volunteers will show up to assist them.
On Thursday, Vollrath said 532 tons of debris was removed and taken to the landfill.
While officials handle recovery logistics, volunteers have been pouring in to help with the clean up. Some local residents decided to take it upon themselves to build a community command center and organize volunteers.
“We had a lot of volunteers, by the hundreds. So we knew we had people here to help us and displaced individuals asking for help so we linked the two together,” said Chelsea Castle, volunteer organizer.
Castle said the support has been overwhelming, but also inspiring.
“There have been people from all over the state that just wanted to help and that is really cool to see. It restores your faith in humanity a little bit,” said Castle.
Three people were killed as powerful storms moved through the county on March 14. About 25 people were treated for mostly broken bones and internal injuries at the nearest hospital in Bellefontaine, said Laura Miller, a spokesperson for Mary Rutan Hospital.
Eight tornadoes hit the state in total.
The strongest one was the EF3, which hit Lakeview, bringing winds of at least 136 mph. The tornado weakened slightly to an EF2 as it struck Orchard Park where multiple boats were flipped over.
The communities around Indian Lake will spend the next several months picking up the pieces and rebuilding what was destroyed. Downed wires and debris scattered the area after the storm came through with thousands losing power.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in 11 affected counties on Sunday and activated the Ohio National Guard to help Logan County officials with clean up.
Just yesterday, DeWine also announced that the state asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess the damage on impacted homeowners, renters and businesses affected by the storms.
“Ohioans are resilient. When I toured the damage at Indian Lake, I heard over and over again from the residents I talked to about their resolve to rebuild. Having FEMA assess the damage is the next step in helping the affected communities recover,” said DeWine.