WEATHER Power is still out for many after storms

An Ohio Edison spokesman said it was one of the worst storms he's seen.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Electric power remained out for roughly 2,000 customers in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys this morning after a weekend of violent storms.
Storms that hit Friday and Saturday in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania knocked out power to 77,500 customers, according to Paul Harkey, Ohio Edison spokesman. He said 100 crews were on the job today, some from as far away as New Jersey.
Still without power this morning: Kinsman, 30; Warren, 700; Youngstown area, 500; Salem area, 300; and Mercer, 400.
Nearly all primary power lines were restored Sunday, leaving repairs for individual customers today, Harkey said.
Friday's first storm, which hit around 4 a.m., knocked power out for 10,000 customers. The second storm, which hit around 5 p.m., affected 67,550 customers, Harkey said.
"It's one of the worst storms I've ever seen," Harkey said today. He said the damage was the result of high winds and lightning.
In Canfield
In Canfield on Sunday, about 900 customers lost power when air conditioners kicked on, Harkey said. The problem was traced to an insulator that had been hit by lightning, which failed when the air conditioner load came on, he said.
Mahoning County officials have begun the process of seeking federal assistance for homeowners who sustained severe damages from the storms. Walter Duzzny, county emergency management agency director, said the federal EMA requires that at least 25 homes in the county have sustained damage leaving them uninhabitable before it will consider offering assistance.
"We've gotten reports of about 10 so far," Duzzny said, asking that others whose homes are severely damaged call his office at (330)740-2200.
If enough homes qualify, Duzzny's office will ask county commissioners to pass a resolution seeking federal assistance.
East Palestine
The city of East Palestine in Columbiana County is looking at millions of dollars in flood damage to the city's sewage treatment plant on Park Drive, city Manager Gary Clark said. The city made millions in improvements to the plant and replaced numerous sewer lines throughout the city in the past decade.
"We're definitely a disaster area," said Clark, who didn't have time to elaborate at press time.
Cleanup efforts continue today in Leetonia after the Little Beaver Creek flooded the south side of the village early Saturday morning.
Village Administrator Gary Phillips said all streets and roads are now open. He said residents of two homes on Water Street and state Route 344 on the southwest side of the village had to evacuate.
Volunteer firefighters pumped out numerous flooded basements. Phillips said Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency officials are starting the process of securing state and federal disaster funds for the village.
Portions of state Route 344 near Leetonia and state Route 154 in Elkton were closed for several hours Saturday. The Lisbon post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported this morning that all state highways in the county are open.
Overnight
The overnight storm in Trumbull County appears to have been less severe than the one that struck Friday night.
Trumbull County 911 emergency system reported today that wires and some trees were down in Howland and Vienna.
Lights were out in the area of state Route 82 and Sodom-Hutchings Road in Vienna, while Liberty schools were called off because of the loss of power.
Brookfield firefighters reported some wires and small trees down this morning.
State of river
The National Weather Service reported that the Mahoning River at Leavittsburg and Youngstown continued to fall slowly overnight. The river at Leavittsburg was 10.2 feet at 2 a.m. The river was at 11.9 feet at midnight. Both locations were expected to fall below flood stage this morning.
Flooding in western Pennsylvania was most severe in Lawrence and Beaver counties.
Homes along Freed Camp Road and in the Freed Trailer Park in Little Beaver Township, Lawrence County, were evacuated when high waters started flooding streets and houses.
In some spots the water was four to seven feet deep, said Sharyn Critchlow, Lawrence County's emergency management coordinator. She said there were at least 18 people taken from the trailer park and numerous others along Freed Camp Road.
Firefighters had to use boats to rescue some from their homes, she said.
"Most of the people I talked to, invariably, had been awakened and found water had totally surrounded them and had to be taken out by boat. One family was literally awakened by a knock at the door to get out," Critchlow said.
Disasters declared
Officials of Enon Valley borough and Little Beaver Township have declared disasters in their communities. Critchlow said New Beaver Borough was doing damage assessment this morning and may also declare a disaster.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency officials were in all three communities Sunday assessing damage, Critchlow said.
Critchlow said the American Red Cross was called in to give shelter to at least four of the evacuated people who had nowhere else to go.
Other communities in Lawrence and Mercer counties reported downed tree limbs and scattered power outages Friday night and early Saturday morning along the Ohio border northwest of Pittsburgh.