Use 911 for emergencies, 211 if you aren’t in danger

Don’t drive through or play in floodwaters, the emergency chief says.

YOUNGSTOWN — In response to this week’s heavy rains, the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency is urging people to dial 211 for non-life-threatening flooding complaints, and to call 911 only for true emergencies.

Walter Duzzny, EMA director, said he is making this request to allow 911 emergency dispatchers to focus their attention on emergency calls.

If, for example, someone is stranded atop a car surrounded by floodwaters that are several feet deep, that would be a true emergency, and 911 would be the proper number to call, he said.

However, for non-life-threatening home and business flooding complaints, the EMA is asking people to dial 211, which is an information and referral number answered by Help Hotline. The 211 call takers will obtain the caller’s location and extent of damage, fill out the proper forms and turn the information over to the appropriate agencies.

For Columbiana County, 211 is also answered by Help Hotline. Trumbull County also has the 211 service, answered by Community Solutions. The 211 service is available 24 hours daily in all three counties.

“If a householder doesn’t have any insurance, we try to help them out by contacting the Red Cross, Salvation Army or faith-based organizations to try to get them some assistance so it doesn’t become any more catastrophic,” Duzzny said.

Warnings

Duzzny also warned people against attempting to drive through floodwaters and urged motorists to detour around flooded roads. “It’s tough to gauge the depth of water,” especially at night, he observed. “It doesn’t look that deep, and, all of a sudden, you’re into it and it’s starting to come in the doors” of the vehicle, he said.

Citing the potential for contamination of floodwaters from sewage and the risk of drowning, he also warned against letting children play in floodwaters. A 10-year-old boy drowned July 21, 2003, when he was sucked into a storm drain in Warren, Duzzny recalled. The Mahoning Valley had received a record 4.65 inches of rain that day.

“There are more people killed and injured in the State of Ohio from flood issues than there are from any other type of natural disaster,” Duzzny said. Duzzny also urged people to check on the well-being of friends and neighbors during floods and other emergencies.