Taft tours site of tornado

The governor expects to declare Mahoning and Trumbull counties disaster areas.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Church of God needs a new place to worship.
Monday's tornado collapsed the East Side church's chimney into the choir area. Rain soaked the sanctuary through the resulting gaping hole in the roof. The structural integrity of the 85-year-old church at Himrod Avenue and Bruce Street is questionable.
Today, church member Irene Casey-Alston made her appeal to Gov. Bob Taft during his half-hour stop in the city.
"We need help, governor, we need help," Casey-Alston said.
Taft just covered his eyes with his hands and muttered "Oh boy" as he toured the church.
Taft visited the Church of God and the neighboring Elizabeth Baptist Church, which sit in the heart of the area the tornado powered through. The visit was part of Taft's tour to review storm damage in Northeast Ohio.
Taft told Casey-Alston, who said the church wants to rebuild elsewhere on the East Side, that a low-interest loan might be available to help.
"It's a mess. We can't invest any money in that. It's too old," she said, pointing to the red brick church.
Financial help available
Taft said he expects to make disaster declarations for Mahoning, Trumbull and three other Northeast Ohio counties as soon as today. That will free up state and federal money for homes and businesses to pay for at least some uninsured damages.
Despite the state's bad financial situation, Taft said there are programs in the budget that can help. The state must help those without insurance, he said.
"We will make sure the funding is there," Taft said.
There also may be money to relieve the weather-related financial burden on governments, such as overtime costs, he said.
Taft briefly met with city and county officials before heading for Hudson. Two people died there Tuesday in rising water in an underground parking garage of a condominium building.
Trumbull damage
Taft visited Youngstown, rather than harder hit, flood-ravaged areas of Trumbull County, mostly because of logistics, his office said.
Taft said he has talked with Trumbull officials who expect damage in the $3 million range.
The federal government will set up a local office to process the damage claims of uninsured or underinsured people within a few weeks of the disaster declaration, said Mayor George M. McKelvey.
Councilman Rufus Hudson, D-2nd, said he already has had at least a dozen people contact him about financial help to repair the damage.
rgsmith@vindy.com