Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis said the county is ready to provide any help the City of Portsmouth needs with flood defense, but so far the city seems to have things under control.
The Ohio River is expected to crest in Portsmouth at 54 feet over the next few days. The flood stage is 50 feet.
Davis said he spoke with Portsmouth City Manager Sam Sutherland to offer the assistance of County Engineer Darren LeBrun and his department. “I’ve got a bucket but Darren has a bigger one.” He said Sutherland thanked him and said that he would let him know.
Flooding isn’t the only emergency the county is planning for. Davis said the county EMA Hazard Mitigation Committee has been meeting for several months to make sure the county is ready should disaster strike.
Scioto County EMA Director Kim Carver is working on an update to their plan to determine what types of problems to focus on.
“There’s a whole list of potential hazards or emergencies that could crop up,” Davis said.
The committee is tackling emergency response plans for things like winter storms, summer storms, and high winds. They’re also working on plans in case of an outbreak of infectious disease and even terrorist attacks.
Davis said multiple agencies take part in the process of making a plan. “You have fire, law enforcement, hospitals, EMA. “A cross-section of all kinds of agencies that would be involved. It’s a good thing. It’s good to get our planning place, revising our planning as conditions change.”
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