Saturday, May 22, 2004
Some 75,000 northern Ohio residences still had no electrical service late Saturday.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
Storms that passed through the region knocking down trees and power lines appear to have claimed the life of a Columbiana woman, believed to have stepped into a puddle of water containing a live electrical wire.
Keith Chamberlin, city manager, said the accident occurred around 4:45 a.m. Saturday as Lisa Smith, 39, of South Main Street, was delivering local newspapers in the 500 block of West Park Avenue.
Smith was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Rick Jamrozik, investigator for the Mahoning County coroner's office, said an autopsy was performed Saturday. The results weren't immediately available, but the death didn't appear to be suspicious, he said.
Chamberlin said it appeared that an electric line was knocked down in the overnight storms and was touching a puddle of water. The line was apparently still energized when Smith stopped her vehicle on the other side of the road and stepped into that water as she was walking toward a house to deliver a paper, he said.
Authorities across the region were still fighting the effects of the storm Saturday.
No power
FirstEnergy reported that some 400,000 customers in northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania lost service during the storm and about 75,000 in Youngstown, Warren, Kent and Akron were still without power late Saturday.
It could be an additional 48 hours before service is restored to most of them, a spokeswoman said Saturday.
Some could be without power until Tuesday, she said.
Fred's Mobile Home Park in New Beaver borough in southern Lawrence County was flooded by Little Beaver Creek in midmorning.
Fire Chief Kevin Peters said firefighters had to use a boat to rescue one woman who was found clinging to a tree as water rose in the park. She wasn't hurt but was taken to a hospital for examination, he said.
The department evacuated about 20 others from the park by boat, he said.
In Leetonia
In Leetonia in Columbiana County, Little Beaver Creek overflowed Saturday morning, flooding a Dairy Queen, a dentist office and a restaurant, said Fire Chief Ken Garlough.
"It's the worst I've seen here for a long, long time," Garlough said.
Crews from other fire departments and volunteers helped sandbag other businesses, he said, noting the water had receded by mid-afternoon.
Tammy Hartz of Route 164 in Leetonia said the rushing water washed out a pipe that carries a stream beneath her driveway, leaving a 10-foot deep chasm that trapped the family's vehicles.
Similar tales of flooding and road closings came across the five-county area, but most roads had reopened by late Saturday afternoon.
Canfield authorities reported that Route 46 from the south end of the Village Green to Fairground Boulevard had to be closed because of power line problems related to the storm and wasn't expected to reopen until late Saturday night.
New location for prom
Students attending the Sharon High School prom Friday night had to make a quick change in locations for the event.
The annual grand march of prom-goers was held at the high school, and the prom itself was to be held at The Corinthian, a banquet center in downtown Sharon. The downtown area, however, was without power Friday night, and the prom had to be held in the high school commons area and gymnasium. Workers from The Corinthian hauled food to the school.