COLUMBIANA COUNTY Please exercise caution, EMA officials urge drivers

The Ohio River was expected to peak below flood stage.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- As floodwaters recede and highways are reopened to traffic, Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency officials urge motorists to drive with caution.
Jay Carter, county EMA director, said flooding caused pavement to wash away and created sinkholes in some areas. He said although workers of the Ohio Department of Transportation and Columbiana County Engineer's office have been working diligently to repair damaged roads, there may be some damage of which no one is aware.
Carter said anyone who comes across a damaged or flooded stretch of road that should be closed should contact the EMA, the sheriff's department or the highway patrol.
Carter said Friday that Wellsville and East Liverpool officials were keeping an eye on the Ohio River, which was still rising but expected to peak around 7 p.m. and be below flood stage.
Seeking federal declaration
Carter said the county has not received a federal disaster declaration. He said Gov. Bob Taft is seeking a federal disaster declaration that would include flooding from Aug. 27-29 and Wednesday and Thursday, and that the declaration be open-ended to include other episodes.
Carter said there is the possibility the county could receive heavy rain again soon if remnants of the current Hurricane Ivan reach the Ohio River Valley.
Carter said assessment teams reported $1.2 million in public and personal property losses from the rain Wednesday and Thursday. He said between 4 and 7.5 inches of rain fell in the county in a 24-hour period.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers flew over Columbiana County on Friday afternoon to do an aerial assessment of the three forks of the Little Beaver Creek. Carter requested the patrol flyover to determine if debris is stopping or slowing the creek flow. If debris stops the flow of the creeks, the water could back up and cause flooding, he said.
Meanwhile, Crestview school officials are waiting for an insurance adjuster to inspect water damage in the high school auditorium.
Superintendent John Dilling said the problem was likely the result of the heavy rain Wednesday creating more runoff than the saturated ground could handle, and the storm drains backed up.
He said there is a retention pond at the school to handle rainwater runoff from the parking lots and roofs to keep runoff off neighboring residential properties.
On Wednesday, however, the water seeped into the building through both exterior and interior walls, he said. Dilling said carpet, tile and a row of auditorium seats will have to be replaced.
The board will probably consider installing a sump pump in the auditorium and adding more drains to handle rainwater runoff, he said.
Noticed before meeting
The Crestview Board of Education was just about to begin a meeting in the auditorium Wednesday evening when members noticed water trickling from underneath the auditorium seats.
Dilling said he moved the meeting to the home economics room and left custodial staff to deal with the leak.
"The meeting was only about 40 minutes long and in that time there was about a foot of water in there," Dilling said. "Based on what we pumped out, I think there was about 20,000 gallons."
Staff and community volunteers tried bailing, but as the rising water approached electrical outlets, Dilling decided to call the New Waterford Fire Department for assistance.
With the help of the fire department and community members, there were five pumps running at one point, he said.
tullis@vindy.com