Help available Friday in wake of Windham tornado

Ravenna Record-Courier
·2 min read

Meals will be available at Renaissance Family Center in Windham, 9005 Wil Verne Dr., on Friday for area residents hit by Wednesday night's tornado.

Meals will be available from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m., according to a Portage County Emergency Management Agency media release issued Thursday night. The Salvation Army also provided meals on Thursday.

The community reception center will also be a central location for families to learn about available resources from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. In attendance will be:

  • Job and Family Services

  • Children’s Advantage

  • Family and Community Services

  • AxessPointe

  • United Way 21

An EF1 tornado touched down near State Route 303 and Stanley Road in Windham Township and traversed northeast over Byant Road and the Ohio Turnpike for four miles.

The tornado’s path went north of the turnpike, impacting State Route 82 and Windham-Parkman Road. The severe weather damaged property, closed roads, downed powerlines and disrupted traffic on the Ohio Turnpike. The National Weather Service walked the area Thursday, April 18, and verified there was a tornado.

FirstEnergy Corp. was not reporting any power outages in Portage County early Friday morning.

Numerous township and village agencies responded Wednesday night including Windham Township, Windham Village and Garrettsville Village. After assessing numerous homes in the area and overturned vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike, no injuries were reported.

That evening, emergency responders from state, local and county agencies established a unified command at Windham Townhall. Priorities remain to open up major transportation routes, utilities, and assess unmet needs of impacted community. Portage County Emergency Management Agency staff completed damage assessment on Thursday.

Property owners can also report damage online at the Portage County EMA website, www.portagecounty-oh.gov/homeland-security-emergency-management/pages/storm-damage-reporting.

Emergency Management agencies are charged with assessing damage to households, businesses and public infrastructure following natural, technological and man-made emergencies or catastrophic disasters. Doing an immediate survey of damage allows emergency managers to determine the extent of loss, suffering and harm to citizens, families and public infrastructure.

Call Portage County EMA at 330-297-3607 for more information.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Help available Friday in wake of Windham tornado