By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent COLUMBUS, Ohio — Torrential rains last week flooded many parts of Ohio, causing Gov. Ted Strickland to declare a state of emergency for Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Richland, Seneca, Van Wert and Wyandot counties.
Northern Ohio was inundated with heavy rainfall of 6-9 inches within a 24-hour period on Aug. 20. A total of 21 counties have suffered flooding and wind damage.
“County and state emergency responders have been working around the clock since (Aug. 20), the start of the severe storms and flooding,” Strickland said. “With this emergency declaration, we can ensure that state resources will be used to help affected Ohioans recover from this disaster as quickly as possible.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator David Paulison and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff began a tour of the flood-ravaged Ohio communities on Aug. 23. The federal officials saw the impacted areas and began to assess the needs of residents in the flooded communities.
“The federal government works as one to respond to disasters,” Paulison said. “FEMA coordinated the efforts and provides an operational framework for states to get what they need when they need it.”
In addition to FEMA and DHS, other federal agencies, including the Coast Guard, have assisted with search, rescue and life-saving missions, including a hoist rescue of two people from a rooftop in Shelby, Ohio, last Tuesday. Coast Guard air assets have flown 12 sorties and has flood response boats and crews on scene in Ohio.
As of yet, agricultural damage to the region remains an unknown factor and will be largely dependent upon the stage of crop development, length of time fields are under water, speed of water movement and other factors.
Because late season flowing is not a common occurrence in Ohio, there are limited facts available with which to make predictions on potential damage, say Ohio State University researchers.
Potential damage may be seen in root injury, stalk rots and stalk lodging if harvest is delayed. The amount of silt left on the soybean crop is also important; if significant silt is deposited on leaves, pods and stems and is not washed off within two days, plants can die within just a few weeks.
While flooding is severe and damage potential strong in the regions affected, it is important to recognize that only a small portion of Ohio’s crops were actually affected by this flood event.
According to the Wyandot County Farm Bureau, much of the damage in that county was residential, as opposed to agricultural, with damage common to basements as well as road closings and bridge damage. However, low-lying farm ground was damaged and initially, the crop damage appeared to be a complete loss.
There are also reports of some farmers losing livestock to drowning, as well.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture reminds homeowners, consumers and farmers to thoroughly wash all produce before consumption, and discard the product if it has been submerged in flooded areas. Produce in standing water can be exposed to bacteria and chemicals harmful to humans.
State agency personnel continue to maintain contact with all affected county emergency management agencies from the state Emergency Operations Center. The Ohio Department of Transportation has closed or restricted traffic on numerous local, county and state routes.
State agencies assisting affected counties include: the Office of the Governor, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Ohio departments of Administrative Services, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Public Safety and Transportation. The American Red Cross is conducting preliminary damage assessments and has opened shelters in numerous affected counties.
As a result of the governor’s declaration, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is providing disaster assistance to residents of declared counties. Affected families may be eligible to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) disaster assistance benefits of up to $1,500. Elderly and disabled individuals may qualify for a one-time cash assistance of up to $750. Applications will be accepted at county Job and Family Services departments.
Over the weekend, county, state and federal emergency management officials will begin to conduct preliminary damage assessments in Crawford, Hancock, Putman, Richland and Wyandot counties.
County and state agencies have begun efforts to ensure debris created by the flooding is removed from impacted areas. Residents need to make sure that debris is placed along the curbside or next to the roadway within the public right away as debris teams cannot remove items located next to homes/private property.
For information on flooding and emergency preparedness, visit www.ema.ohio.gov or www.weathersafety.ohio.gov This farm news was published in the Aug. 29, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
