Holmes County: Clean up from mid-June storm could take six months in worst affected areas

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·4 min read
Mohican Trails Club members Vanessa Ebert, Jim South, Ben Wolfe and Robin Remaley pause Sunday, June 26, at a spot along the North Rim Trail at Mohican State Park where a Ohio Department of Natural Resources crew had removed a fallen tree the previous week. They scouted the rest of the trail Sunday in preparation for clearing storm debris. They will start work on the trail Wednesday, June 29.

It could take nearly six months to clean up debris and remove fallen trees across Holmes County, commissioners estimated on Friday.

Scattered branches and toppled trees still litter much of Holmes and southern Wayne and Ashland counties two weeks after hurricane-force winds blasted the area.

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A bridle trail near Covert Road on Pleasant Hill Lake is closed due to storm damage.
A bridle trail near Covert Road on Pleasant Hill Lake is closed due to storm damage.

Wayne and Holmes county commissioners declared states of emergency last week, highlighting the widespread damage caused by macrobursts of over 90 mph.

"The magnitude of the storm caused excessive damage, and the priority is clearing roadways, easements and rights-of-way so public utility companies can access their equipment to ensure services can be restored as quickly as possible," Wayne County announced on June 22.

County officials hope the declarations will attract state and federal funding that has so far been lacking, according to the county.

To report loss or hardship, call the United Way’s WHIRE (Wayne Holmes Information Referral Exchange) service at (330)263-6363.

Clean up continues

A tree chainsawed down.
A tree chainsawed down.

Mohican State Park kept many of its trails closed since the storm, only reopening three, to keep hikers safe from fallen trees.

As with other recovery aspects since the storm, they enlisted outside help. These crews came from nearby parks to remove debris.

Mohican Trails Club members also volunteered to scout fallen limbs and trees for future clean-up, according to the park.

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Public and private campgrounds were able to operate normally, with some areas off limits due to damaged trees.

Power was restored and enough storm debris cleared by the June 25 weekend to allow canoe liveries and campgrounds to operate. Business was brisk, according to Nathan Shipley, co-owner of Shipley's Canoe Livery in Loudonville.

"Yesterday was the busiest day we’ve had since the COVID outbreak in 2020,” Shipley said on Sunday. “We were at it from 8 a.m. till 10:30 p.m.“

Areas downstream on the Mohican River weren't as hard hit. The river widens there and blockage from fallen trees seldom causes problems.

"We had tree clean up here but we were very lucky that there wasn’t a lot of damage," said Jenny Wobbecke of Mohican Wilderness Campground. “We don’t typically do any river jam cleanups down this way.”

A sign posted near the Cole Road Prairie between Butler and Perrysville advises that the trail is closed in this area, which sustained heavy damage from the June 13 tornado. The property is part of North Central Ohio Land Conservancy's Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail.
A sign posted near the Cole Road Prairie between Butler and Perrysville advises that the trail is closed in this area, which sustained heavy damage from the June 13 tornado. The property is part of North Central Ohio Land Conservancy's Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail.

Volunteer chainsaw teams arrived in Wayne County from the Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization arrived over the weekend. They will remain in the area for at least two weeks, according to Dan Starcher, public communications for Wayne County.

Crews will cut and stack wood at the edge of properties but will not haul it away, Starcher said in a news release.

For a relief team to visit, they require the property's address and the owner's telephone number for permission to access private property, he said.

"Relief teams cannot assist with commercial or rental properties or farmland. Anyone may sign up for assistance; however, priority will be given to elderly, disabled or financially disadvantaged residents," Starcher said in the release.

Those who need help clearing debris should call the United Way's WHIRE (Wayne Holmes Information Referral Exchange) number.

Let there be light

As of June 25, only three trails within Mohican State Park and the State Forest had reopened after crews from neighboring state parks helped clear them. Most trails and the road to the Clear Fork Gorge Overlook, shown here, remained closed.
As of June 25, only three trails within Mohican State Park and the State Forest had reopened after crews from neighboring state parks helped clear them. Most trails and the road to the Clear Fork Gorge Overlook, shown here, remained closed.

The immediate result of the storm damage was widespread power outages in the tri-county area.

Two weeks after thousands were left in the dark and utility crews restrung wires and replaced poles, crews completely restored power last week, according to area electric companies.

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Companies like AEP and the Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative transported crews from the surrounding states to more quickly repair infrastructure.

"Thanks to our 42 staff members and all the wonderful cooperatives, contractors and tree trimming companies," the cooperative posted on Facebook. "We will spend the next several weeks cleaning up right-of-ways and post-storm maintenance."

Estimated losses in the millions

Chips fly as the tree is cut into pieces to go through the chipper.
Chips fly as the tree is cut into pieces to go through the chipper.

The three counties are tallying the full extent of damage and losses in dollars, but estimates from Holmes County place that figure in the millions.

A survey of businesses and the economic impact of the storm will reach into the millions, Holmes County Economic Development Director Mark Leininger told the Daily Record on June 16.

Leininger said one business reported it was losing close to $400,000 a day because it closed with no power.

Sweethaven in Shreve estimated that it threw out 30% of its frozen and refrigerated foods following the storm.

Another 20%, largely meats, were cooked up for a village-wide barbecue and donation, said Kevin Cronin, meat manager and assistant store manager.

Rogue Tree Service employee Andrew Boswell prepares a pine tree for dropping.
Rogue Tree Service employee Andrew Boswell prepares a pine tree for dropping.

In total, he said the store raised $1,000. Half went toward water and ice for the community while the rest re-cooped the store's financial losses.

Public Assistance Damage Assessment forms are due to the state emergency management agency by July 1, said Barbara Pittard, interim director of the Wayne County EMA.

"(The forms) will give (the state) an idea of what we think it will cost to clean up the damages to public structures, roadways, bridges, etc," Pittard said.

Correspondent Irv Oslin contributed to this article.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Crews continue debris clean up two weeks after hurricane-force winds