Governor Declares State of Emergency After Twister Outbreak in Ohio

(News/Talk 1480 WHBC) – Governor Mike DeWine has declared a state of emergency in three Ohio counties that sustained extensive damage from a tornado outbreak late Monday night into early Tuesday morning.

The governor toured the damage on Tuesday, and after seeing how bad the situation is, issued the emergency proclamation for Montgomery, Mercer and Greene Counties.

“I wanted to come here today to express to people our sympathy…we can’t pretend to know what they’ve gone through, but we wanted to let them know that we care very, very much.”

Areas of Dayton, in Montgomery County, sustained extensive damage from the tornadoes, and the one confirmed fatality was in Celina, in Mercer County.

DeWine says the proclamation will allow:

State agencies to provide resources and support beyond their normal authority, under the direction of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA).

Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to suspend state purchasing requirements to support recovery efforts and obtain needed resources such as water and generators more quickly and efficiently.