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Flood waters cause evacuation of 7 residents of Champion Township apartment building
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Cars were left abandoned on Warren streets made impassable by flood- waters caused by heavy storms Monday night.
Also, lightning hit a transformer, cutting electrical power to the Plaza View Apartments behind the Elm Road Plaza. Another bad area was Plaza Avenue and Overland Avenue Northeast behind the plaza.
The flooding was so bad that the Warren Fire Department implored residents to stay in their homes late Monday.
Some residents moved out of their homes at the Buckeye Mobile Home Park on Difford Drive across from Eastwood Mall in Niles, but were able to find places to stay, said Karen Conklin, director of the Lake to River Chapter Red Cross Chapter.
“We are on alert with crews ready to deploy and open shelters if that becomes necessary,” Conklin said.
Fire and police departments in several communities in Trumbull and Mahoning counties were kept busy responding to calls about stranded vehicles and flooded basements.
Among the Warren streets with abandoned vehicles were Pine Avenue Southeast, Palmyra Road Southwest and Parkman Road Northwest, city police said.
Mahoning County was also hit hard late Monday.
On Mahoning Avenue, from state Route 11 in Austintown to downtown Youngstown, there was consistent puddling along the curbs. At times, motorists hugged the right portion of the lane traveling eastbound on Mahoning Avenue toward Youngstown or even went into a turn lane to avoid large puddles coming from the curb.
On areas of Route 11 south of Mahoning, traffic was slowed to 35 miles per hour by the water, it was reported.
Also, high waters plagued the intersection of Western Reserve Road and Market Street.
In central Trumbull County, floodwaters came to a Champion Township apartment complex at 3 a.m. Monday, leading to an evacuation of the four ground-level apartments.
A downpour just before 3 a.m. was one of several late Sunday and early Monday, but it was the one that finally caused water to rise 6 to 8 inches into the apartments, said Capt. Don Maffitt of the Champion Fire Department.
A woman called 911 at 3:12 a.m., saying she got up to use the restroom and stepped into the water. Apparently none of the other residents realized what was happening, because firefighters had to knock on the doors of the other apartments to alert them, Maffitt said.
The area where the apartments are located has flooded before, with water sometimes making Folsom Drive a “river,” Maffitt said. Cars in the parking lot were found to be in water several feet deep, Maffitt added.
With more rain in the forecast, Maffitt said he’ll be surprised if those apartments don’t experience another flood as the week progresses.
The apartments are at 274 Folsom Drive on the north side of the road, across Mahoning Avenue from Kent State University at Trumbull.
The American Red Cross came to the scene to assist the seven occupants of the apartment, providing them with vouchers for a hotel room and food.
The nearby McDonald’s restaurant opened early so the residents had someplace to stay until arrangements were made for them, Moffitt said.
In adjacent Bazetta Township, firefighters were called to Andrews Drive for a flooded basement, according to the fire department. Minor flooding also was evident in some other areas.
According to the National Weather Service, the Mahoning River at Leavittsburg reached about 10 feet, flood stage, at 10 p.m. Monday and is expected to reach its highest level in the past few days at 11 feet at 2 p.m. today.
Contributor: Robert Connelly, staff writer