CLINTON, Ohio — While floodwaters have started to recede for some, others are still waiting to see the water levels go down. In Clinton Village in southern Summit County, today isn’t much better than yesterday.
“The last couple days, we just been watching it and wondering how much stuff we lost,” said Gordon Shobe, owner of Clinton Auto Repair on Main Street. “I was in there yesterday and it looks like we lost pretty much everything.”
He says anything that has electronics is likely a total loss. That includes some cars at the shop – both his and his customers -- that were under more than 3 feet of water at one point. Shobe says he experienced a flood here before, but not to this magnitude.
“It was only about 3 or 4 inches in the building, maybe a foot. This time’s pretty bad,” Shobe said looking at his building.
And he’s not alone. Parts of Canal Fulton remain underwater, too. Police issued a list of road closures that included over a dozen streets. The closures have made travel in and out of the city more difficult.
Cities and villages like Barberton, Canal Fulton, and Clinton remained underwater longer than others because those cities are intersected by the Tuscarawas River. Upstream, the river still has plenty of water to let loose coming from the Portage Lakes to the north.
The outlet of Portage Lakes is partially controlled by the Long Lakes Flood Gates.
Shobe understands his business the Village suffer, in part, to protect other more populated areas.
“Somebody’s going to flood somewhere, whether it’s here or downstream. I don’t think there’s much they can do about it,” he said.
Through it all, Shobe maintains there is good reason to stay.
“[Clinton] is a good town, there are good people here,” Shobe said proudly. “We’ll probably clean up and give it one more shot, you know. We’re not going to let a little water run us out.”
In the meantime, he continues to wait for the water to go down. But that may not last long as more rain is in the forecast. The only thing that can stop mother nature may be an act of God.
“We could use everybody’s prayers, you know. But all we can do is roll with it. And… we’re not gonna stop mother nature.”