Gov. Mike DeWine is requesting help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for 10 counties that suffered damage from the tornadoes that ripped through Ohio earlier this week.
One person died in Tuesday’s storms. DeWine, who toured the damage with his wife Fran, said it could have been worse.
“We saw them first from the air but then when we got down on the ground and looked at those homes, you know if I didn’t know anything and just saw the homes, I would have assumed there were a lot more people killed," DeWine said.
DeWine credited the media for getting the word out and to the people affected who heeded that warning. DeWine said he wants the feds to come in next week to do a survey of the damage and figure out what national resources might be available to help people rebuild their lives.
Thousands in the Dayton area went another day Thursday without power and water. Meanwhile, crews worked to clear debris-clogged roads, and police continued to search for a woman who disappeared around the time of the storms.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said 71-year-old Catherine Clayburn, who has dementia, left her home in Dayton a few hours before the tornadoes and has not been seen since. Local law enforcement has conducted an intensive search and has called on a national organization that helps find missing people.
Dayton Power & Light reported that around 19,500 were still without electricity Thursday. The utility said 750 extra crew members from six states are helping out, doubling the usual number on the job.
Crews shut down Interstate 75 in both directions at one point so utility lines could be untangled and repaired.
Free bottled water is being distributed at stations throughout the area, and shelters are open where residents can shower. The city lifted water boil-advisories for some areas Thursday. There has been no word on when water could be restored.
