[Photo Album] Ten years ago Hurricane Ike blew into Loveland

LOVELAND, OHIO – The most often words spoken around Loveland on Monday were, “Well at least…” For many:

“We don’t live in Galveston.”
“No one got hurt.”
“It was daytime.”
“We didn’t get rain like Chicago.”
“The tree didn’t hit the house.”

Chris Kubicki said, “Well at least no one was hurt.” On Sunday afternoon, she saw a large piece of metal roofing come off her Loveland Greenhouse building on Lebanon Road. She said it was “just floating” through the air, and then was caught perilously high in a nearby tree. She and her fellow workers at the time were trying to put their stock of fall plants inside to protect them from the high 50-60 mph wind. It was then that she ordered her employees to run away from the building that was loosing its roof, and the other buildings that are made of glass. They took shelter in a nearby car in the parking lot. The next thing Chris saw was a utility pole with a transformer crash to the ground. She then started to think the auto wasn’t the safest place to be, but with the building coming apart, and electric lines scattered about, couldn’t think of another place to go.

Later, Chris realized that a fifty-year old tree had come down along with the utility pole, both within ten feet of the area where she serves customers. She said she felt very lucky that the wind was blowing the way it did, but couldn’t quite figure it all out. She said it seemed that the wind was just swirling all around her. Miraculously, only a few panes of glass in the greenhouse were damaged. On Monday, everyone was busy picking up the pieces and throwing many plants into their much pile because they would be unable to water them and keep them healthy.

Chris Springborn and Casey Smeller had been practicing the new sport of “Rip-Sticking” on Wall Street for months and are quite proficient maneuvering the skate board that is two small boards with one roller-blade wheel on each, attached so each separate piece swivels. The two boards, attached in the middle are controlled independently by each foot, allowing surfing on pavement. A skilled rip-sticker can even go up hill easily.

On Sunday during the height of the windstorm, Springborn and Smeller, taking advantage of the wind and the closed street, took a picnic canopy top, and did some wind-surfing up Wall Street. Springborn’s son Cas, and neighbor Bill later showed their skill at a new sport that might have been hatched on Wall Street in Loveland, Ohio. Springborn later cooked steak, chicken, and vegetable shish-ka-bobs on his gas grill. He and his wife enjoyed the candle-lit (Well, Colman lantern-lit) dinner on their back porch, under an almost full moon that kept Loveland relatively well lit throughout the night. Their son Cas, later invited other neighborhood boys to camp on the porch for the night.

Dani and Charlie Lawler, as hard as they tried, had no luck getting their kite air born during the middle of the storm.

All Loveland neighborhoods were filled on Monday with couples and families on walking tours, grilling their midday meals on gas grills, sitting just inside their garages reading or eating by the sunlight. At almost every house, homeowners were doing the unwelcome yard clean up, many had only debris to rake to the street, the one, or two-foot end sections of tree limbs that were damaged by last summer’s cicada brood. Where the cicadas cut slits to lay eggs, the tree limbs were ready to shed the weakened branches. Many trees, already under severe stress from many too wet springs in recent years, and last summer’s severe drought were an easy target for the high winds. Most, uprooted trees had virtually no visible root system at all. Many strong trees lost large branches, landing on cars, houses, play-sets, and out buildings. Some utility poles cracked in half without the help of leaning trees.

Almost every neighborhood had at least one street closed because of downed trees and power lines. St. Rt. 48 in Clermont County had two such sections closed, with large downed trees hanging in power lines and crossing the roadway. Fallis Road was closed early in the storm on Sunday when a tree fell across the road, with some branches breaking the top of a utility pole. The road, leading to Loveland High School, was still closed to traffic, late on Tuesday morning.

Older children home from school seemed generally outside with their parents, as dads, or neighbors with chain saws helped one another clean the downed trees and large limbs. Some teens could actually be seen helping with yard work. One such teen, Chaz Schebor, had spent the day working with his dad, who owns a landscape business. Schebor’s bare arms and much of his clothing was still covered late in the evening on Monday with a sticky, tar like tree sap. He said it might have to use turpentine to clean his hands and arms.

The large, full canopied sycamore tree that stood just a few feet outside the customer entrance to the former Rolke Brothers Supply in downtown Loveland was toppled during the storm, landing where it would have cut the store in half had the store not recently been demolished.

A relatively small locust tree was down on the grounds of the Loveland Intermediate building, but the roof of the building needed many shingles replaced on Monday.

On Monday morning, Terri Shieldmeyer, was on the roof of an outbuilding at his parent’s home next to Tufts Shieldmeyer Funeral Home, using a chain saw to cut a locust tree that had fallen. Sheildmeyer said they had just put a new roof on the building.

When the sun began to settle on Monday, and electric service was returning to sections of town, the inside work began in many households, as there were refrigerators, and freezers to clean, guessing which food items had weathered the storm, and which had to be tossed. It was time to pack the dishwasher, run a load of clothes, and check to see whether cable service was on yet. At 8 PM a sense of normalcy was drifting over town, when the carillon bells at City Hall again sang out the hour, and the full moon’s brightness was helpful to those many parts of the community still without electric service.

No doubt, many “weathered” the storm very well, indeed, some having great fun while it was taking place, others comfortable under a front porch pondering the awesome power of a storm they had just seen on TV in Texas. However for many, it will be a very real hardship. Lost work and paydays, spoiled, much needed food to feed themselves and their children, no, or inadequate homeowner insurance, worry and alone throughout the night in darkness, or the thought of even another bill to pay will overwhelm some. There will be a great burden put on budgets of safety service and public work crews during the storm, and in the many weeks ahead of cleanup and debris removal.

Most, residents were in good moods on Monday, but those feeling the greatest impact on their home and budget were not those out on the corner ready to talk about their problems, complaints, and heartaches, but they are real and not easily fixed, just because the sun came out for the rest of us. On Tuesday, many sections of Loveland were still without electric service, and people are now preparing for at least a few more days without a refrigerator or a hot shower. Ice seemed a rare commodity, if not completely impossible to find on Tuesday. Gasoline was plentiful, and lines short, but, expect to pay around $4 a gallon.

LOVELAND, OHIO – Loveland Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Kevin Boys said that Loveland Schools will be open on Wednesday, with the possible exception of the Early Childhood Center which was still without electric power as of early Tuesday evening.

The Loveland school buildings escaped the wind storm on Sunday with relatively minor damage. A roofing crew was already scheduled to replace loose shingles on the Intermediate School Roof, and the additional shingles that blew off on Sunday are being replaced in a timely manner because of the fortunate scheduling. A set of aluminum bleachers  at the high school baseball field became air born and destroyed the backstop the Athletic Boosters had installed only two years ago. Insurance is expected to cover the repair cost. Loveland lost no food, as all of the refrigerators and freezers held safe temperatures until power was restored.

Boys said the decision to cancel school, district wide on Tuesday, was based solely on none of the buildings having electric power.

Athletic Director, Jeff Zidron said he could imagine no scenario now, that would cause the Homecoming Parade scheduled for 6:30 PM on Thursday to be canceled.

The State Emergency Operation Center, the Ohio Petroleum Marketers Association and the Ohio Petroleum Council said today, “There is not a shortage of gas supply in Ohio.”

“As we continue to work through the aftermath of Sunday’s windstorm I encourage all Ohioans to be patient as we continue through the recovery process,” Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Henry Guzmán said. “The gasoline supply is adequate and there is no need for motorists to fill up before they normally would or make extra trips to the gas station. This could create a safety problem where there would otherwise not be one.”

Local emergency management agencies say they are receiving an abundance of complaints surrounding long waits of up to three hours to get gasoline.

The Emergency Operations Center said that they remain in contact with the Ohio Petroleum Marketers Council, which represents petroleum suppliers and the Ohio Petroleum Marketers Association, which represents petroleum distributors and retailers. The State of Ohio with the Ohio Petroleum Council and the Ohio Petroleum Marketers Association are assuring Ohioans’ energy needs are satisfied over the course of the disaster.

Duke Energy estimates that 50 percent of homes and businesses without power in Clermont County, as a result of the Sunday high winds, will have electricity returned Tuesday night; up to 85 percent should be restored by the end of Wednesday.

A total of 76 structures across Clermont County were damaged by the Sunday winds; four of the structures were destroyed and 22 have major structural damage. If you need information about food and water availability, food safety, or tips about using generators for power, call the Clermont County Information Hotline at (513) 732-7855.

Currently, 20 county roads are closed, because trees and power lines are entwined.  “Our crews cannot remove debris from the roads until Duke Energy removes the wires,” said Highway Operations Manager for the Clermont County Engineer’s Office Rob Alfieri.  “I want to caution citizens not to drive around barricades where these wires and trees have fallen.  They pose a very real and dangerous situation.”  Alfieri said he didn’t remember a time in the past 15 years, where the county has had so many roads closed at the same time.

The Clermont Park District reports that the Kelley Nature Preserve on State Route 126 in Miami Township is closed until storm damage can be removed.

Governor Ted Strickland declared a state of emergency Monday in response to the widespread impact of Sunday’s major wind storm. He scheduled a 12:00 PM briefing with local officials at Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency,  and a 12:30 PM driving tour of areas affected by windstorms. The declaration, “allows the State greater flexibility in quickly allocating resources from state entities, such as the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Department of Transportation, out to local communities,” according to a statement issued by the Governor’s office. The Board of Clermont County Commissioners declared that a state of emergency exists in the county.

Loveland Brush Removal
The City of Loveland has announced it will move up its already-scheduled fall brush pickup to start the week of September 22nd. The special pick up will take the place of the otherwise normally scheduled fall brush pickup set to start in November. residents can put out their brush right away and City crews will be picking up whatever they can between now and September 22.

• Monday trash pick up will have brush pick up the week of September 22
• Tuesday trash pick up will have brush pick up the week of September 29
• Wednesday trash pick up will have brush pick up the week of October 6
• Thursday trash pick up will have brush pick up the week of October 13
• Friday trash pick up will have brush pick up the week of October 20

The City will publish a revised leaf pick up later in the fall.

The Area Blood Supply at Critical Level
Hoxworth Blood Center said that Donors needed to replenish group O positive and O negative blood inventory. Hoxworth Blood Center is asking for all eligible group O positive and O negative donors to make an appointment to donate blood at their earliest convenience.  “Hoxworth is faced with a critically low inventory of group O positive and O negative blood following the wind storm and power outages that have plagued the Cincinnati area.  This request for blood donation is desperately needed to maintain minimum inventory levels in order to meet the needs of patients in our 31 area hospitals”.  Hoxworth spokesperson, Alecia Lipton, says “The shortage of these specific blood groups will strain our ability to adequately supply our hospitals”.

Clermont County Hot Line: (513) 732-7855
Clermont County has a government information hotline activated for citizens to obtain information about where food is currently available, food safety tips, the location of a county shelter, what to do if you have special needs, and generator operation safety information.  The hotline number is (513) 732-7855.  If citizens have a life-threatening emergency, they should dial 9-1-1.

Little Miami Schools will operate on a 90-minute delay Wednesday, September 17th. Although Butlerville Elementary School is without power, the district has back up power for lights and food service. Many homes in the district are without power and some roads are closed. For these reasons, absences for students who cannot make it to school will be excused.

LOVELAND, OHIO – “This was the busiest we’ve been since the 1990 tornado,” said Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief, Otto Huber. “Area communication centers were so backed up that we were handling the overflow, taking calls from Warren County, Mason, Batavia, and Delhi.” Huber said that during the four hours of the windstorm that hit the area on September 14, the Department made 62 fire/EMS runs in Loveland, and 70 in Symmes Township. “132 is a lot of runs,” said Huber. He estimated that they received 280 calls for service or information during the four hours of the storm.

Huber said that there were no fires during or after the storm and there was no loss of life or injuries requiring ambulance assistance. However, they did assist residents who were sick or needed medical help because they had no electric. Huber said the department has continued to receive calls as residents experience anxiety in the storm’s aftermath. He said his department was able to “settle” down emotions and then they could help with getting residents the help they needed. He said the department helped a few residents whose needs were food, shelter and medications. He said many calls were received because of anxiety related, heart or breathing problems

Many area residents received a personal telephone call from the department to see how they were coping with the storm; those who previously signed up to participate in the Department’s Senior/Med program. These residents have already had an interview with a trained representative in person, or over the phone. The information is entered into a database that is accessible to Northeast Communications Center and the rest of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department. (A resident can participate in the Senior/Med program by clicking here or by calling 583-3001)

Huber said that on Sunday afternoon all Loveland, and a majority of Symmes Township were without electricity.

“The fortunate part about the storm, is that we had very mild weather. It wasn’t very hot or cold, and we have had good weather in the days after the storm. If it had been extremely hot or cold weather, the community would have had to shelter and feed many area residents.”

By following this link, you can read the Loveland/Symmes Fire Department’s Disaster Preparedness Guide. In the guide you will find their recommendations on what to do and not do in a disaster, and a suggested list of supplies for survival kit.

Homecoming Parade canceled

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO – If your power is out, a food and water distribution site is being operated by the Red Cross from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Glen Este, located at 1034 Old SR 74 in Union Township.

The Clermont County Engineer’s Office reports that 17 county roads remain closed this morning, as a result of trees and wires down; the debris cannot be cleared until Duke Energy removes the wires.  In addition, each of the 15 townships in the county reports a minimum of three township roads closed.

Clermont County asks that you please call before visiting the following Clermont County government offices as they are operating with limited power: Common Pleas Court, Engineer’s Office, Domestic Relations Court, Juvenile Court, General Health District, Medical Social Services Building (including all Department of Job and Family Services divisions, Educational Service Center, division of nursing with the General Health District),  and the General Health District.

Contact the Department of Job and Family Services at the following numbers:

• Children’s Services division – 732-7173
• Child Support division – 732-7248
• Adult, Child, and Family Services division – 732-7111

The Department of Job and Family Services has also established a hotline to serve customers in need of food replacement or disaster assistance.  For information about benefit eligibility, call 732-7190.

The General Health District will hold the scheduled childhood immunization clinic between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. today; however, the location is being moved from the Medical Social Services building to Permit Central, located at 2275 Bauer Road in Batavia.  Call 735-8400 before 4:30 p.m. for more information.