CLEVELAND — Northeast Ohio dealt with dangerous weather on Tuesday as parts of the region were under tornado or severe thunderstorm warnings (or both).
Now that the weather has cleared, we're dealing with the aftermath of the damage and thousands upon thousands of power outages as FirstEnergy crews work to restore electricity to impacted customers.
SUNDAY UPDATES
FirstEnergy will provide an update on the progress to restore power to all Northeast Ohio residents in a press conference on Monday.
The press conference is set for 11 a.m.
SATURDAY UPDATES
MetroHealth announced Saturday that due to the power outages, several locations would be closed. Check the list of closures here.
FRIDAY UPDATES
Cuyahoga County offering oxygen tank refill stations
The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management has partnered with the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to host oxygen tank refill stations to assist those impacted by Tuesday’s severe weather. Patients and community members can bring up to three small (D & E cylinder) oxygen tanks for filling, free of charge at the below station:
Brook Park Recreation Center Parking Lot: 17400 Holland Road in Brook Park
Hours: Saturday, Aug. 10 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More dates and locations will be announced.
County leaders emphasize that stations are set up for refills only and are for emergency usage. "Once the tanks are refilled, patients should call the phone number on their tank for follow-up supplies."
Cleveland Public Power update
Cleveland Public Power announced on Friday afternoon that over 27,000 customers have had their power restored, which is roughly 87%. There are currently 6,931 customers currently without service.
CPP says their current area of concentration are the Collinwood and Old Brooklyn neighborhoods, but adds that crews and contractors are working throughout the city to restore services.
"CPP has committed to restoring service to the majority of its customers by the weekend, however, restoration will continue around the clock until all are back in service," the agency wrote in its release.
Cleveland Public Library extending hours
Due to power outages, Cleveland Public Library is extending its hours and will be open until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 10 at Memorial-Nottingham, West Park, and Woodland campuses. The Edgewater Book Box will be closed on Saturday, August 10. Click here for more.
Some Giant Eagle locations are out of free ice and water. Here's where else to go
While Giant Eagle and FirstEnergy announced the two companies would team up to offer free ice and water to customers impacted by the power outages, some customers arrived Thursday evening to find the stores were not able to offer the items. FirstEnergy spokesperson Hannah Catlett said Friday that some locations had simply run out of supplies and are awaiting a restock. (A Giant Eagle spokesperson said the company is looking into the reported issues.) However, FirstEnergy is also supplying free ice and water several Northeast Ohio community centers in addition to the listed Giant Eagles, including:
- Brooklyn City Hall, 8000 Memphis Ave., Brooklyn
- Collinwood Recreation Center, 16300 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland
- Cuddell Recreation Center, 1910 West Blvd., Cleveland
- Zelma Watson George Recreation Center, 3155 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Cleveland
- Michael Zone Recreation Center, 6301 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
Catlett said more locations are set to be added to the list throughout the day. Check out the full list from FirstEnergy by clicking here.
Geauga Family YMCA open to community members in need
The Geauga Family YMCA, located at 12460 Bass Lake Road in Chardon, is open to everyone in the community to spend time at the branch and use resources including showers, coffee, tea, water and fruit, charging outlets and cooling stations. The YMCA said more than 20 people lined up to shower after the announcement was made.
Greater Cleveland Food Bank seeks volunteers
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is packing 2,000 shelf-stable boxes of food for distribution to its partner programs in response to the power outages. The food bank is recruiting 30 volunteers for two shifts each. The shifts are on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m in the Repack Room at the food bank's Croit Road Partner Distribution Hub. Click here to sign up.
In addition, the Food Bank’s Community Resource Center, located at 15500 South Waterloo Road in Cleveland will be open Saturday August 10 from 9-12 "to provide income eligible neighbors in need with healthy food in a shopping style pantry, as well as next week."
City of Mentor gives update following storms
First Energy will be distributing ice and bottled water in the parking lot of the Mentor Senior Center located at 8484 Munson Road beginning at 11 a.m. today. This is available free of charge while supplies last.
THURSDAY UPDATES
Planet Fitness open to public for showers, charging, water
A Planet Fitness spokesperson told 3News the gym chain is open to the public for anyone who needs to take a shower, charge electronics or get fresh drinking water. Stop at the front desk and tell a team member what you need. Participating locations are:
- Akron - 1533 S Hawkins Ave, Akron, OH, 44320
- Alliance - 1200 E State St, Alliance, OH, 44601
- Barberton - 161 Wooster Rd N, Barberton, OH, 44203
- Brook Park - 5755 Smith Rd, Brook Park, OH, 44142
- Canton - 4317 Whipple Ave NW, Canton, OH, 44718
- Copley- 120 Rothrock Rd, Akron, OH, 44321
- Kent- 1416 S Water St, Kent, OH, 44240
- Macedonia - 949 E Aurora Rd, Macedonia, OH, 44056
- Parma Snow - 1846 Snow Rd, Parma, OH, 44134
- Stow - 835 Graham Rd, Stow, OH, 44221
- Strongsville - 16611 Southpark Center, Strongsville, OH, 44136
- Tallmadge - 505 South Ave, Tallmadge, OH, 44278
'Operation Storm Recovery CLE' underway
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced an "all-hands-on-deck storm response approach" called Operation Storm Recovery CLE, saying the city has sent "numerous" crews to handle emergency requests involving power lines and uprooted trees.
Bibb's office said four city recreation centers have expanded hours until 11 p.m., where a limited supply of shelf-stable meals provided by Greater Cleveland Food Bank will be available beginning Friday at 1 p.m.
Those recreation centers are
- Collinwood 16300 Lake Shore Blvd. – Wi-Fi, no air conditioning
- Zelma George 3155 MLK Jr Blvd. – Wi-Fi, air conditioning
- Cudell 1910 West Blvd. – Wi-Fi, partial air conditioning
- Michael Zone 6301 Lorain Ave. – Wi-Fi, air conditioning
The mayor's office said outlets for charging devices at the rec centers are limited. Other options for charging, cooling and Wi-Fi include:
- J Glen Smith Health Center, 11100 St. Clair Ave.
- McCafferty Health Center, 4242 Lorain Ave.
- Cleveland Public Library (CPL) branches (closed Friday) and Cuyahoga County Public Library branches
Click here for more information from the city on Operation Storm Recovery CLE and available resources.
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School pushes back start of school year
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School in Chardon announced to families Thursday that due to ongoing power outages, storm damage and road closures throughout Geauga County, the start of the school year has been delayed. The new schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, Aug. 14 – Lion Pride Night (6:30 - 8 p.m.)
- Friday, Aug. 16 – Freshman Orientation (8 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Monday, Aug. 19 – First Day of School for NDCL (Blue Day start at 7:55 a.m.)
- Thursday, Aug. 22 – Meet the Teachers Night (6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
FirstEnergy, Giant Eagle teaming up for free ice, water giveaway
FirstEnergy customers who remain without power can pick up one bag of ice and two gallons of water free of charge at the following Northeast Ohio Giant Eagle locations starting today at 5 p.m.
- Avon Lake - 31990 Walker Road
- Broadview Heights - 4343 Royalton Road
- Brooklyn - 6300 Biddulph Road
- Chesterland - 12692 Chillicothe Road
- Cleveland - 7939 Day Drive
- Elyria - 320 Market Drive
- Maple Heights - 5321 Warrensville Center Road
- Mentor - 8383 Tyler Blvd.
- Middlefield - 15400 West High Street
- North Madison - 6556 North Ridge Road
- Parma - 7400 Broadview Road
- Strongsville Market District - 15919 Pearl Road
- Westlake Market District - 30275 Detroit Road
- Willoughby - 36475 Euclid Avenue
The free giveaway will continue through next Wednesday (Aug. 14) or while supplies last.
Macroburst!
In addition to the four confirmed tornadoes (so far) in Northeast Ohio on Tuesday, the National Weather Service says that a macroburst occurred in parts of Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties during the storm. Estimated wind speeds were 70-90 miles per hour, with "small pockets of up to 100 mph."
What is a macroburst? According to the NWS, "a macroburst is a thunderstorm downdraft affecting an area at least 2.5 miles wide with peak winds lasting 5 to 20 minutes." In Tuesday's case, it started at 4:20 in Eastlake and ended in Chesterland at around 4:50 p.m. The macroburst "primarily caused extensive damage to trees, wires, and power lines with limited damage to a few houses due to downed trees."
Cleveland Public Power update
According to a post on social media just after 5 p.m., Cleveland Public Power reports that 10,262 customers are still without power. "Crews are coming to your neighborhood soon.," CPP added.
The city of Cleveland tells 3News that 70% of CPP customers have had their power restored.
"We expect to have the majority of our customers back in service by the weekend," a CPP official wrote in an email to 3News.
Cell service update
3News reached out to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile for updates on service after Tuesday's storm. After receiving statements from Verizon and AT&T on Wednesday, here's what T-Mobile told us this afternoon:
"The vast majority of our customers have stayed connected due to overlapping coverage across the city but a very small number of them are still experiencing intermittent service disruptions following the storm. Our teams are continuing to work with our local third-party vendors and commercial power companies to restore the few remaining impacted sites."
NWS confirms fourth tornado touchdown
At 2 p.m., the National Weather Service announced a fourth EF-1 tornado that came down in Northeast Ohio on Tuesday. This one impacted Lake and Geauga counties, touching down first in Waite Hill at 4:31 p.m. before finally coming to an end in Chesterland at 4:38 p.m. The tornado had an estimated peak wind speed of 110 miles per hour. Read more here.
Third tornado touchdown confirmed
At 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, the National Weather Service confirmed that a third EF-1 tornado touched down in Northeast Ohio during the severe storm on Tuesday. In this case, the tornado first came down in Brecksville at approximately 4:20 p.m. It reached a max wind speed of 104 miles per hour and eventually got as far as Peninsula. Read more here.
A historical perspective on the storm from the Illuminating Company
The Illuminating Company, one of the three companies in the FirstEnergy family, put out a post on social media calling Tuesday's storm "the most impactful to hit our service area since July 1993." The company says it has confirmed approximately 300 broken poles that will need replaced.
Update from NWS
The National Weather Service is continuing to gather damage reports from Tuesday's storms. NWS Cleveland has two survey teams out on Thursday.
Cleveland Public Power gives update on outages
Update from FirstEnergy regarding Northeast Ohio power outages
The Illuminating Company requested support from thousands of contractors to help with restoration and expects the majority of them to arrive in Northern Ohio today. Crews have restored power to nearly 200,000 customers impacted by Tuesday’s severe weather. Line workers continue to work around the clock to restore the remaining 267,700 customers.
Because of the extent of the storm damage, the Illuminating Company expects it could take until next Wednesday to safely restore power to its customers. Of course, as we work through the outages, thousands of customers will come back on before then. The outage map will start populating more specific times for each neighborhood as they are available.
Ohio Edison estimates it will have the majority of its customers restored by Friday night, with many before then.
We know it’s difficult for people to be without power, and our crews will continue working around the clock to get the lights back on.
City of Mentor provides update following storm
The City of Cleveland working to help residents without power
Below is a list of locations for pop-ups giving out grilled hot dogs, chips , water, juice and Night Out on Crime shirts for residents without power.
- 1:30-3 p.m. Carver Park Estates (Friendly Inn Parking Lot)
- 3-4:30 p.m. Outwaite Estates (Lonnie Burton Rec big Field across from Rec Center)
- 4:30-6 p.m. Nueva Vida (New life church) 3227 West 25th
Residents needing food or social services can call the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Help Center at (216)-738-2067 or dial 211 to reach the United Way who can connect them to additional resources.
In addition, city recreation centers and libraries are open and available for charging and connecting to Wi-Fi.
Free ice for Northeast Ohioans
Until power is restored, Lucky's Bar and Grill on Memphis Avenue is giving away free ice to Northeast Ohio residents.
Power outages continue
Crews are still working to restore power across Northeast Ohio.
WEDNESDAY UPDATES
MetroHealth has power restored at 2 locations
MetroHealth announced Friday night that power has been restored at Parma Health Center. All offices will be open on Thursday, Aug. 8 except the operating room. Additionally, power has been restored with "limited operations" at the West 150th Health and Surgery Center in Cleveland. Patients are encouraged to check with their providers for specific details.
What we know about the tornadoes in Northeast Ohio
The National Weather Service has confirmed that two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Northeast Ohio just before 4 p.m. Tuesday: one in Avon Lake and one in Brook Park. Here's what we know about both storms.
NWS confirms another tornado
The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday evening that a tornado began across northeast Lorain County at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday before tracking east into Cuyahoga County. "Multiple trees snapped, trampoline tossed, and removed shingles from a roof," the NWS said, adding "multiple structures" were damaged due to downed trees. The NWS said the tornado lifted near Rocky River.
SNAP recipients eligible for replacement benefits for spoiled food
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients could be eligible for replacement benefits if they lost food purchases due to the power outages. Households must complete a JFS Form 07222 within 10 days of the loss and send it to their county's Department of Job and Family Services. Households are encouraged to provide verification of the extended power outage, such as news reports, text/email alerts or outage alerts that show their area lost power for at least four hours.
Most street blockages cleared in Cleveland Heights
The City of Cleveland Heights announced Wednesday evening that all major street blockages have been cleared except at one side of the triangular intersection of North Woodland Road and Fairmont Boulevard. The city also announced that Kurtz Bros. Landscape Supply Center has waived dumping charges for homeowners through Saturday, August 10. Anyone who needs to dispose of fallen brush, branches, logs or trees can drop off debri at any of the chain's eight locations for free. Residents who spot debris blocking the road are asked to call Cleveland Heights police non-emergency line at 216-321-1234.
Heavy damage in Lakewood
Members of our team have spotted major damage in areas of Lakewood. Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling found crews shut down a stretch of Lake Avenue near Whippoorwill Avenue as crews worked to repair a downed tree.
At the Colonial Manor apartment complex on Atkins Avenue on Lakewood's west side, residents told 3News a chimney on the roof of the building was destroyed, scattering bricks everywhere and causing significant damage to at least one car.
Chimney destroyed at Colonial Manor in Lakewood
Downed tree in Cleveland Heights
3News' Leon Bibb snapped these photos of some damage left by the storms at North Park Boulevard and Arlington Road, near Cleveland Heights' border with Shaker Heights.
Avon City Hall open for assistance
The city of Avon said its ability to help restore power to residents is "limited" but its City Hall is open and has power. Residents who need to charge their phones can go to City Hall between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those in need of assistance or other resources are encouraged to call 211.
Library closures in Cuyahoga County
Just after 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Cuyahoga County Public Library system said in a social media post that eight branches — Bay Village, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Independence, North Olmsted, Parma Heights, Parma-Powers and Richmond Heights — were closed and that its branches in Chagrin Falls and Maple Heights would reopen at 5:30 p.m.
Cuyahoga County assessing damage
The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management sent a press release Wednesday afternoon saying the office is "conducting damage assessments across the County and providing aid to local municipalities." Officials offered the following safety tips for dealing with prolonged power outages:
- Call 911 for emergencies.
- Stay away from downed wired or power lines. If a power line falls on your vehicle, stay inside until first responders arrive.
- Use generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills outdoors, at least 20 feet away from any building openings, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Use flashlights, lanterns and other battery-powered lights. Do not use gas stoves or candles to heat your home. Don't leave a vehicle running inside a garage.
- Throw away any food that has been left at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours. Throw away any food with an unusual odor, color or texture.
- Replace refrigerated medications if the power is out for a day or more unless the drug's label says otherwise.
- Unplug appliances, equipment and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
- Pay attention to water advisories and boil water or use bottled water if needed.
- Check your city's website for information on cooling centers or find places with air conditioning, shade or water. Avoid high-energy activities and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
- Call the United Way Help Center at 211 (available 24 hours) for information on resources for food, clothing, housing, healthcare and more.
- Find resources from the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless here.
Tornado confirmation
Just after 1:30 p.m., The National Weather Service reported that its "survey teams have confirmed a tornado in the Valley View/Bedford area. Additional details to come out later."
The view from Willowick
Danielle Wiggins is in Lake County for a look at the damage caused by the storm in Willowick.
FirstEnergy update
At the height of the storm, there were about 470,000 Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison customers without power.
We are now working to restore about 330,000 customers without power. About 90% of the outages are Illuminating Company customers.
An update from Geauga County
Kaitor Kay is on State Route 306 with a look at conditions following Tuesday night's storm
Parma Heights apartment complex damage
3News' Annabelle Childers checked in from Parma Heights to see the aftermath of severe weather at the Kingsdale Apartments:
Damage to Mayfield Church
Mayfield Church in Chesterland sustained damage during Tuesday's storm, including its steeple blown over. Church officials are asking that no one enter the building until "we have the proper structural safety checks."
Cuyahoga County Public Library pitching in
According to library officials, "17 CCPL branches are currently open to welcome members of the community who need air conditioning, electricity and reliable wi-fi. As the Parma area was particularly hit hard, a large number of customers are currently at CCPL’s Parma-Snow Branch (2121 Snow Road, Parma, Ohio 44134). To accommodate this larger number of customers, CCPL has taken the unprecedented action of opening portions of CCPL’s Administrative Building for use by members of the community."
Currently, 10 Cuyahoga County Public Library branches are closed due to power outages.
Chardon comfort station open
Chardon United Methodist Church has opened a "comfort station" for people without power and for those who need food. According to the Chardon Fire Department, the comfort station at the church does have power, so hot beverages and food will be available. A cell phone charging station will also be available, so make sure to bring your charger/cable.
Cell service update
3News has reached out to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile/Sprint for updates on their restoration of cell service following Tuesday's storm.
Verizon sent us the following statement:
We are currently working to restore service to cell sites impacted by yesterday's storm and subsequent power outages. While our cell towers have battery backup and generators for when widespread power outages occur, smaller cell sites are not allowed by design to have backup power. Our engineers are working hard to have service fully restored as soon as possible.
An AT&T representative said the following:
Some of our customers in the Northeast Ohio area may be experiencing wireless and wireline service impacts, primarily due to power outages from recent severe weather. We understand how important it is to stay connected and continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service.
Additional:
- Customers experiencing issues with their AT&T service can reach us at att.com, on the myAT&T app or over the phone. Customers looking to reach us via phone can contact us 24/7 at 800.288.2020 for Internet support.
- Wireline customers can also visit att.com/outages to sign up for one-time service restoration text alerts for internet and TV.
Help for FirstEnergy is on the way
AES Indiana has announced that it is sending help to Northeast Ohio amid the massive power outages following Tuesday's storm. After a "mutual aid call" from FirstEnergy, AES says it is sending 12 linemen with buckets and digger trucks, a supply truck, a garage mechanic, and a "team leader from lines." The crew was set to depart sometime around 12:30 p.m. EDT.
"We are proud to be able to send crews to help Cleveland after the devastating storms that left thousands of people without power. We wish them safety as they travel and help to restore power to the 400,000 people who are without power in the wake of the destruction," AES Indiana said in a statement.
Statement from the Illuminating Company
With hundreds of thousands of FirstEnergy customers still without power Wednesday morning, the Illuminating Company (A FirstEnergy company) posted the following message on social media at around 10 a.m.:
The damage across greater Cleveland after last night's storm is significant and widespread, consisting of hundreds of broken poles and crossarms, downed power lines and fallen trees and debris blocking road access. Approximately 348,500 customers in northeast Ohio lost power due to the storm, and 305,000 customers remain without service, primarily in the hardest-hit areas of Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula counties.
Our crews will continue to work around the clock and we are shifting crews from our FirstEnergy sister companies that were less impacted by Tuesday's storm. Our primary focus at this stage is to remove any hazards and assess the damage so that our crews can access the site of an outage and begin to safely make the repairs.
While we are still developing estimated restoration times, we expect this will be a multi-day restoration effort for many. We will provide restoration updates for specific locations as they become available on our outage map: http://spr.ly/OHOutageMap. You can also text STAT to 544487 for an update for your specific outage after you've reported it.
We appreciate your patience and understanding while our crews work as quickly and safely as possible to get all customers back up and running. Stay safe!
Euclid
At 9:49 a.m., Euclid Police Captain Mitch Houser issued the following statement:
In the aftermath of the storm, no injuries were reported. The precautionary travel advisory into Euclid is lifted. Emergency crews are working diligently to clear roadways and downed power lines. There are still power outages in the city. Please be careful traveling and expect possible delays and detours. Do not drive through deep water and treat all non-functioning traffic signals as a four-way stop.
Car goes vertical in Mentor
3News received the following video captured by Samantha Dispenza off Bellflower Road on Tuesday. It shows an upturned vehicle that got entangled in power lines as a tree fell.
Parma Heights oxygen needs
At 9:01 a.m., Parma Heights Police Chief Tanya Czack sent us the following notice:
Can you please let your viewers know that any resident of Parma Heights who is on oxygen and cannot get to their supplier for refilling during this power outage – can come to the fire department for emergency refills. If they are unable to come to the fire department because they have no means of transportation, can call the non-emergency lines for the fire department for the fire to come to the resident for the refill. Calling 9-1-1 to be transported to the hospital for that reason causes major issues with already overwhelmed emergency rooms.
National Weather Service
At 8:45 a.m., the National Weather Service in Cleveland said two survey teams are being sent out "to survey the extensive damage from yesterday's storms."
Parma Medical Center
We've learned the MetroHealth Parma Medical Center is closed due to a power outage.
"All outpatient appointments will be rescheduled to telehealth," according to MetroHealth. "Providers will be in contact with patients with additional updates."
Euclid
Our crews captured these images shortly after 2 a.m. at the intersection of East 208th Street and Edgecliff Drive:
Extended team coverage
Here's an extended look at the storm damage across Northeast Ohio with our team coverage from the GO! morning show on Wednesday:
TUESDAY UPDATES
So how bad was it out there on Tuesday afternoon? Check out the below video from our photojournalist George Payamgis as the storm arrived in downtown Cleveland:
At one point on Tuesday afternoon, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport reported an outage in the terminal. Power was eventually restored.
Avon
In Avon, police are confirming downed trees and power lines near Detroit Road, French Creek Road, Highland Park, Stoney Ridge Road, Shakespeare and Long Road.
"Traffic is going to be interrupted until areas are cleared," officials said Tuesday. "We are asking people to avoid these areas."
Avon Lake
Similarly, several roads are closed in Avon Lake due to storm damage.
Our crews spotted a home on Cherry Street in Avon Lake with significant damage where a tree toppled onto the residence.
Brook Park
The police department posted on Facebook that there "are trees, poles, and lines down across the city," with "a lot of homes, autos and other property" damaged.
That damage included parts of the Brook Park Recreation Center where parts of the roof came off and the neighboring field bleachers had fallen over.
Rocky River
Similarly, the Rocky River Police Department reports that its officers are working hard to respond to dozens of pending calls for blocked roadways, traffic crashes, trees and wires down, and more.
The Ohio Department of Transportation also confirms a tree fell across I-77 in Newburgh Heights, backing up traffic all the way to downtown Cleveland.
Here's a look at some of the photos we're getting of the damage in Northeast Ohio.
PHOTOS: Severe storm damage in Northeast Ohio
A Gofundme fundraiser has been created for the Rocky River man whose house was destroyed in the storm. You can donate by clicking here.