PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Thousands of Ohioans were without power on Saturday after powerful winds and rain swept through the Buckeye State on Friday.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited Portsmouth in Scioto County on Saturday morning to see the storm damage and talk to officials.
Residents in the city near the Kentucky border were dealing with severe flooding, downed trees and power outages.
DeWine said he was speaking with town officials to determine if the state needs to step in.
“We always look and go through the process, talking to officials and do an assessment to see if there is a need [or] a way that we can help people." he said.
DeWine said the important thing was no one was hurt.
In Franklin County, about 500 customers remained without power on Saturday evening, but the power was still out for thousands of people in Ross, Pike and Scioto counties.
Pike County Emergency Management Director Tim Dickerson spent the day looking for flooded roads and damaged power lines.
He said residents of a trailer park in Waverly were asked to leave their homes when the gates at Lake White Dam would not open and the neighborhood started to flood.
The Red Cross is in the county assisting as needed.
Dickerson said it could take days to weeks to assess the extent of the damage.
“I would like to be in touch with the governor’s office and any assistance they could give us would be greatly appreciated,” he said.