Citizens didn’t hold back their anger over the recent flash flooding in Portsmouth.
Scioto County Commissioners declared a state of emergency during a special meeting on Monday morning. They initially declared the emergency over the weekend but confirmed it at the meeting.
This was after flash floods and high winds devastated the county, knocking out power to 12,000 customers, downing countless trees, and decimating many Portsmouth neighborhoods.
The declaration was passed so the state could have access to state funds to help with cleanup efforts.
Scioto EMA Director Larry Mullins said his agency is conducting damage assessments and requested that the public visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/scioto.ema/) to complete a damage reporting form.
He said the county had to meet certain requirements to qualify for state funds and it was important to note as much damage as possible to get the money. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of red tape.” He said that he planned to spend the day assessing damage in the area.
An angry Portsmouth citizen lost his cool when commissioners explained that Portsmouth’s City Sewer System fell under the jurisdiction of the City Council. “This has happened four times. This is bull crap! I brought this up to the mayor and nothing was ever done.”
“People have a right to be upset,” Commissioner Bryan Davis said. “They’re hurting.” He said that his church, neighbors, and brother had been hit by the flood waters. “There’s a separation of jurisdictions, however.”
“You guys ain’t gonna do nothing,” the angry citizen said. “You’re just trying to get money from the state.”
“The reason we’re here today,” Commissioner Scottie Powell said. “is to start the process for EMA so the state can hopefully help people whose insurance doesn’t cover the damage. That’s really what our jurisdiction is. City Council, they’re all elected officials. They all control the city. If you want to talk to the City Manager, I encourage you to go there.” Powell said commissioners have no oversight of the city’s sewer system.
Steve Sturgill, Executive Director of Community Action, said his agency had been without electricity for three days and that the Ohio Means Jobs office had flooded. He said it was important to get the federal government to declare the area a disaster area. “If we can get the federal declaration, then we can put people to work to clean it up.”
Davis emphasized it was important to tally up all the local damage in order for the county to qualify for as much aid as possible.
JFS Director Tammy Moore Morton said that her agency didn’t have a lot of information but that her agency could help with food spoilage for anyone who receives SNAP assistance whose power had been out for longer than four hours. “We can replace up to the amount that you’ve lost or your full allotment. We can’t replace above that allotment.” There is a stack of forms available in the agency’s lobby.
Those funds are only available for people on food stamps. However, if the state declares Scioto County a disaster area, it’s possible more money could be made available.
The City of Portsmouth asked citizens to move flood-damaged items and debris to the curb for pickup. “The city will fervently work on getting it picked up as quickly as possible.” However, the transfer station is down and that will delay garbage pickup.
“Get it out of the house,” Bryan Davis said. “Get it to the curb. We’re trying to figure out how the county has to handle contaminated debris. Everything is red tape.”
Commissioner Cathy Coleman said she was stunned to find standing water in her hilltop home in West Portsmouth. But fortunately, she had relatives to help her with the cleanup.
“I know most of you have interest in the next city council meeting,” Commissioner Powell said. “That is October 14 in the evening.”