LOGAN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - It's been less than 24 hours since the devastating tornado that hit Indian Lake.
Around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, a tornado hit the Indian Lake area and caused severe damage to houses and businesses. Sheriff Randall Dodds says that Orchard Island, Lakeview, and Russells Point are the hardest-hit areas. Roads are closed in that area. Officials this morning were assessing the extent of the destruction with downed trees, gas leaks, fires, and fallen power lines.
State government officials arrived in the area Friday afternoon to speak to the media and provide insight on clean-up and what the state will be doing to provide aid.
State Representative Jon Cross and Logan County Commissioner Joe Antram spoke to our crew about the tornado damage and how the community has banded together to heal.
"We're already thinking about redirecting some state funds to be helpful. There's a short-term focus right now that the first responders are worrying about, but what the governor and others are probably thinking about, just like myself, is the long term. So what are we gonna do for the next six months to a year to get Indian Lake repaired, get people's homes back, businesses back open? It's gonna take a lot of resources, so we're gonna need some time to dedicate some more funding. So just like we fought for funding for Indian Lake, we're gonna fight for funding to make sure we can get people back on their feet, get businesses open, and get our lake back open," stated State Representative Jon Cross.
"We've had some fatalities. We have a lot of injured people, we have a lot of search and rescue procedures that are trying to get started. We, as commissioners, will be declaring an emergency here in Logan County, and that's gonna be opening up some avenues of aid and help here to our community. It's been really gratifying to know that we've had people in the community just anxious to do what they can, and not just here at Indian Lake, the entire county," commented Joe Antram, Logan County Commissioner.
Other state officials were present in Indian Lake today, such as Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted. We'll continue to bring you updates on the tornado damage to Indian Lake throughout the evening, as well as Governor DeWine's press conference in Indian Lake this afternoon.
