Rep. Robinson Calls for Unity, Praises First Responders Following Severe Storms in Cuyahoga
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today made a statement on the severe weather system on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, that impacted Cuyahoga County.
“I hope everyone is safe and unharmed after the severe storm that hit Cuyahoga County and all of Northeast Ohio. Right now, it is important that state, county, and local leaders come together to help those most in need. We are appreciative for the heroic work our first responders provided. The priority now is to repair downed power lines and get power back up to everyone in Cuyahoga County. We can’t clean up debris, repair homes, or get all businesses reopened and people working again until this is accomplished,” said Rep. Robinson.
“It is crucial that FirstEnergy and other utility providers use all available resources and spare no expense to get the services back up for Cuyahoga County residents. We must prioritize access to food, shelter, ice and air-conditioned spaces, and other essentials for those most severely impacted by the storm. My colleagues and I are working to inform residents of the necessary government and nonprofit resources available to our constituents. I have seen firsthand the damage caused by the storm in my own community of Solon, along with the rest of District 19. It makes me realize we could have been more prepared. Once we finish the post-storm recovery, it will be the responsibility of appointed and elected leaders like myself to make certain we have more streamlined plans in the future to expedite the recovery.”
On Tuesday afternoon, a severe weather system swept through Northeast Ohio with instances of tornadic activity, high gusts of winds and severe thunderstorms. The National Weather Service confirmed four EF-1 tornadoes had touched down in multiple counties, leaving behind significant damage impacting local communities. This damage affected trees, homes, businesses, motor vehicles, and utility infrastructure.
Reports indicate that a tornado passed through the House District 19 communities of Brecksville, Valley View, Bedford, and Bedford Heights. Solon and other District 19 communities are also facing power outages and damages from the storm.
The electric utility company FirstEnergy reported nearly 470K customers in northeast Ohio (and over 217K in Cuyahoga County) lost power after the storm. Power remains out for residential customers in Cuyahoga County, many of which include elderly and disabled residents. As of noon of Friday, August 9th, more than 142K customers are still without power in Cuyahoga County, and could remain without power until Wednesday, August 14th. Businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, anticipate significant losses due to Tuesday's severe storm.
Rep. Robinson, the Cuyahoga County House and Senate Delegation, and other Northeast Ohio legislators sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine, urging him to issue a proclamation declaring a state of emergency across Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Lorain Counties which were impacted by the severe weather system. They also requested FEMA Damage Assessment Teams to survey the impacted areas. A copy of the letter to Gov. DeWine is attached here.
Rep. Robinson and his office continues to reach out to officials and participate in meetings with Cuyahoga County and Governor DeWine’s office to receive updates on the storm recovery and is reaching out to local leaders to help facilitate their needs from county and state government.
The following are potential resources and tips for constituents:
Safety Recommendations
The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management urges residents to check on friends and neighbors and follow these safety recommendations:
- Call 9-1-1 in emergencies. Emergencies are events that include serious medical issues, any type of fire, life threatening situations, and crimes in progress.
- Do NOT dial 9-1-1 for non-emergencies, or to check the status of a power outage. Use your city’s non-emergency number to report non-urgent incidents or dial 2-1-1 for other resources.
- NEVER touch downed wires or electrical power lines and keep children and pets away from them. If you encounter a downed power line, stay away, and call 9-1-1. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside until first responders arrive.
- Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Use generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills outdoors, at least 20 feet away from any building openings like windows, doors, or garages. Never use a gas stovetop, oven, grill, or dryer to heat your home.
- Stay fire safe. Use flashlights, lanterns and other battery-powered lights.
- Only use a generator outside of your home. Do not run a generator inside a home or garage or connect it to your home's electrical system.
- Don’t leave a vehicle running inside a garage, even if the garage door is left open. If you use your vehicle as a source of power or to stay cool, make sure to run it in a well-ventilated place outside.
- When in doubt, throw it out. Throw away any refrigerated food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for more than 4 hours. Throw away refrigerated food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture
- Using oxygen and without power? Call the number on your concentrator or tank to request an emergency resupply of oxygen tanks.
Stay Informed with ReadyNotify
The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management is also urging residents to stay prepared and informed of emergencies by signing up for ReadyNotify, Cuyahoga County’s emergency notification system. The ReadyNotify system provides notifications for emergency events, weather alerts, and other information. You can access their emergency preparedness guide here.
Additional information and tips about staying safe in emergencies can be found at ready.gov.
Community Cooling & Charging Centers
Cuyahoga County Public Libraries
Currently, six Cuyahoga County Public Library branches remain closed due to power outages including Bay Village, Brook Park, Brooklyn, North Olmsted, Parma Heights and Richmond Heights.
The remaining branches will remain open to welcome members of the community who need air conditioning, electricity and reliable wi-fi (in bold are branches in House District 19):
- Berea
- Fairview Park
- Middleburg Heights
- Olmsted Falls
- Parma-Powers
- Parma-Snow
- Strongsville
- Bedford
- Brecksville
- Garfield Heights
- Independence
- Maple Heights
- North Royalton
- Warrensville Heights
- Beachwood
- Chagrin Falls
- Gates Mills
- Mayfield
- Orange
- Solon
- South Euclid-Lyndhurst
Cleveland Public Libraries
Cleveland Public Libraries are welcoming patrons during regular operating hours to use the Wi-Fi and charge their devices. While the majority of their locations are open, some are closed due to power outages including, the Addison, Brooklyn, Collinwood, Eastman, Fleet, Fulton, Lorain, Rice, Rockport, and Union branches. The remaining CPL branches will be open Monday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
All Cleveland Public Library locations are closed on Friday, August 9th for staff development. Visit cpl.org/storm-closures for a list of closures and real-time updates as they work diligently to restore power at all locations.
Free Ice & Water
Several locations in Cuyahoga County have partnered with FirstEnergy to give out free water and ice to residents without power. Starting Thursday, August 8th until Wednesday, August 14th residents can pick up one bag of ice and two gallons of water, free of charge, at the Giant Eagle locations listed below.
- Westlake Market District, 30275 Detroit Road, Westlake
- Strongsville Market District, 15919 Pearl Road, Strongsville
- Parma-Broadview Road Giant Eagle, 7400 Broadview Road, Parma
- Day Drive Giant Eagle, 7939 Day Drive, Cleveland
- Biddulph Plaza Giant Eagle, 6300 Biddulph Road, Brooklyn
- Broadview Hts Giant Eagle, 4343 Royalton Road, Broadview Heights
- Southgate Giant Eagle, 5321 Warrensville Center Road, Maple Heights
Emergency Medical & Food Assistance
Medical Help
Residents with medications that need to be refrigerated should check the specific instructions on their medications, as medications such as insulin pens can last at room temperature for up to 28 days. For those with more sensitive medications, pharmacies and health care systems are preparing back-up supplies.
Residents who rely on continuous oxygen are encouraged to contact their oxygen supply companies who are working with the health care systems to secure back-up supplies.
Food Assistance
The United Way Help Center has resource information for food, clothing, housing, healthcare, and more. Call 24 hours a day at 2-1-1.
If you are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and have been without power for four hours or more, you can file for replacement SNAP benefits within 10 days of when the food was destroyed. Beneficiaries must complete a JFS 07222 SNAP benefit replacement form, which can be downloaded here and sent to CJFSDocs@jfs.ohio.gov.
Contact the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Help Center at 216.738.2067 to learn how to find free food near you or apply for SNAP benefits.
Power Outage Maps
CALL 911 FOR IMMEDIATE EMERGENCIES AND DOWNED POWER LINES, REMAINING 30+ FEET AWAY.
Check the First Energy Outages Map online at outages-oh.firstenergycorp.com.
Check the Cleveland Public Power Outage Map online at cpp.org/Power-Outages/Outage-Map.
To report outages:
- Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy): Call 1-888-544-4877 or text OUT to 544487 or go to firstenergycorp.com/outages_help
= - Cleveland Public Power: Call 216-664-3156 or go to cpp.org/Power-Outages/Reprot-Outage