SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio (WSYX) — On Monday morning, the Scioto County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring a local state of emergency in response to damage caused by flash flooding and winds.

Commissioners passed the resolution at a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday in hopes of securing state resources and money for cleanup and reconstruction in the county.

The Scioto County EMA said that at the height of the storm Friday, more than 12,000 community members lost power and strong winds downed trees and power lines, blocking some roads.

Many homes were damaged by winds and flooding, and emergency responders conducted several water rescues of people trapped by the floods.

Governor DeWine visited the county on Saturday to view the damage caused by the storm.

As Helene’s floodwaters recede, residents of Lakeview Avenue and York Street in New Boston are grappling with the muddy aftermath of flash flooding. Katie Reed tells how she saw the water rising.

“I was just afraid that the increase wouldn’t stop and that everything in the house would be ruined,” she said.

The stormwater and sewer systems were overwhelmed with excess water. The water reached the porch and damaged clothing, furniture and memorabilia in the garage.

“Everything is ruined, so it just has to go in the trash,” Reed said.

Scioto County EMA Director Larry Mullins said the Tri-State Chapter of the American Red Cross will distribute resources to residents in the parking lot behind the Scioto County Emergency Operations Center in Portsmouth beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the principle ” First come, first served.” Base.

He also encouraged residents to fill out a damage report form if their homes were damaged by the storm.

“To qualify for state funding, the county must meet certain requirements and a financial threshold. “So we need to mitigate as much damage as possible,” Mullins said in a media release.

Mullins said this is just the first step in a long journey from the storm damage.

“This begins the process of hopefully later being able to tap state resources and also state assets to help us with our recovery and cleanup efforts,” he said.

The form can be found on the Scioto County EMA Facebook page.