CLEVELAND — Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for four Northeast Ohio counties that have already been impacted by heavy lake-effect snow, with more in the forecast for the coming days.
The proclamation applies to Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Lake counties, and allows the state to provide direct assistance more quickly. According to the governor's office, the Ohio Department of Transportation has already deployed 157 of its trucks to the area, including nine loaders and 18 dump trucks in Ashtabula County alone.
"In addition to the support the state has already provided, we anticipate that more state resources will be necessary as the week progresses," DeWine said in a statement. "This proclamation readies our state agencies to assist the impacted counties without delay.
Since Thanksgiving weekend, some parts of Northeast Ohio have already seen several feet of snow, forcing school and road closures across the region. 3News has also issued a new Weather Impact Alert beginning Wednesday night through all of Thursday, with our meteorologists forecasting additional snowfall of more than six inches in some locations, along with wind gusts north of 40 mph.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the following counties beginning Wednesday afternoon and ending early Friday morning:
- Ashtabula
- Cuyahoga
- Geauga
- Lake
- Portage
- Summit
- Trumbull
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, as of Dec. 1, 54 car crashes have been reported across the four counties under DeWine's emergency proclamation. The agency says it has already additional troopers to the area to assist law enforcement agencies with such incidents.