The Lorain County Emergency Management Agency was still counting reports and requests for help Tuesday afternoon, after handling thousands of calls from residents reporting flood damage from the Black River, and from numerous streams. Emergency Operations Manager Alice Webber says her teams found many people still aren't able to return home; 24 hours after leaving.
Alice Webber:
"The electric and gas is still off - they are out there trying to get that turned back on... so the residents are going back in to actually assess the damage themselves, and to start cleaning up and everything."
The City Hall complex and more than 100 homes in North Ridgeville were inundated, with at least 50 people evacuated from their houses.
Mary Moran of Lorain County's Red Cross chapter has helped hundreds over the past two days. She says what caught many by surprise, was the reach of the water.
Mary Moran:
"There was some new areas this time. There are some areas that kind of get it every year in February, and so we saw some that came in saying 'not again'; but there were definitely some that have never seen it in their basement before and it was shocking to them to go downstairs and see what they found down there."
The Lorain County commissioners eventually declared a state of emergency, but that doesn't automatically free up any funding to help flood victims - only a Presidential declaration can release federal money for assistance. Visits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be made in coming days.
In and around Cleveland, Independence and Valley View were hit hard by an overflowing Cuyahoga River, chasing thousands of people from offices in low lying areas. Just north of there, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo saw the Big Creek reach historic levels.... destroying a service building; and trapping and drowning a peregrine falcon.
In Lake County, evacuees from Painesville were allowed to return home after the Grand River crested at three feet above flood stage, while the swollen Chagrin River along the county's edge began to recede later Tuesday, after the collapse of a small dam in Gates Mills boosted the level of the river by a foot.
To the west, Findlay was battling water reminiscent of its historic 2007 flooding.
Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman says he watched in near disbelief.
Michael Heldman:
"The Blanchard River normally flows, in normal weather conditions, at around two feet. Today, it is around the 16' level."
That's about five feet above flood stage.
It was also in that area where a North Fairfield woman was swept away Monday. Her body was recovered inside her car, on Tuesday.
And cleanup goes on in Summit County, where more than 185 Akron residents reported basement sewer backups. More than 60 City of Akron employees teamed to assist residents and sewer maintenance crews with cleaning.
