Tornado cleanup efforts continue in Union County

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – Clean-up efforts remain underway as many across central Ohio pick up the pieces following Thursday night’s fatal storms.

On Sunday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in the counties impacted by the tornadoes.

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One of those counties is Union County, where the community continues rallying to recover.

“A lot of churches and stuff like that, they would probably have 40, 50 trucks, Del Mar tree service, their services came in,” Taylor Township Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Rees said of the cleanup efforts. “People from all we don’t even know where they was coming from.”

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down in central Union County, near Broadway.

“Well, a lot of people were really scared, I’m sure,” Broadway Express and B&E Pizza owner Robert Harris said.

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“Our cemetery, it’s pretty much flattened, headstones tipped over,” Rees said.

Despite the damage, neighbors shared that the community has stepped up.

“I just think that it shows that we still have that kind of America, that people are willing to help their neighbors,” Harris said.

The Red Cross has been helping people in the impacted counties and has a shelter set up in Union County.

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“When you see and you talk to the people whose homes have been destroyed, that’s just a next level of just really understanding the impact of what has happened,” Marita Salkowski, American Red Cross regional communications director, said.

The Red Cross says anyone impacted by Thursday’s storms can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to get set up with help.

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