Area Experiences Second Round of Flooding

ROSEVILLE, Ohio – A second round of severe weather brought extreme flooding through the villages of Crooksville and Roseville late Saturday night into Sunday Morning.

Just when area creeks were receding and cleanup operations were in full swing, area first responders were once again called into action. 

“The weekend flooding hit the same area that was originally flooded. However, the weekend flooding did get a few more areas… was affected by it. There’s probably about 10-to-15 more people displaced from the second round of it,” Crooksville Fire Chief Dyrall Newlon said. “During another storm coming through, a brief storm that we were watching, we had a confirmed rotation. Just east-southeast of the village towards Ebeneezer Church on East Athens Road,” Roseville Fire Chief Ed Guy said.

Luckily, there weren’t any reports of a touchdown but the tornado added more concern to an already stressful situation. Neither flood event caused life-threatening injuries, but one fatality was reported due to the victim being displaced and succumbing to an existing medical condition. Guy explained that the levee, which caused last week’s evacuation is structurally safe and that the evacuation took place because the flood waters were close to spilling over it. 

The Ohio National Guard is in Crooksville to assist in cleanup efforts as more volunteers are on their way. Robert Dobbins from Philo and Phyllis Bowersock from Lancaster arrived at the former Roseville Middle School Building to assist the volunteers at the communitywide donation collection point located at 76 West Athens Road.    

“The long and the short of it is, we’ve taken in donations and we’re giving out at the same time. This is all community based. Community helping community. Donations… volunteers mainly, we really need bodies. We really need people that just have time… and willingness just to help anyone that’s in need,” Dobbins said. “They need help with the donations and sorting clothes that they’ve already got donated. So I’m just retired and thought I’d come down and help,” Bowersock added.

Water and cleaning supplies are some of the most requested items along with food and pet supplies. Additionally, Millersburg based ‘Hope for Crisis’ has a mobile food kitchen set up at the Crooksville Fire Department to serve area residents and volunteers.