DUPONT, Ohio (WLIO) - "Just like that - 75 seconds it was over with," said Dupont mayor Robert Heidenescher.
On Thursday afternoon, the Village of Dupont was doing its best to get back on its feet after an EF-1 tornado struck late Wednesday night. Homes damaged with trees uprooted, sheet metal torn and wrapped around trees and buildings, and standing water in some areas.
"The National Weather Service is saying this was an EF-1 tornado that came through Dupont here due to the damage that they've seen already so far with trees down on houses, mobile homes up off their foundations," said Brian Hilvers, Putnam County EMA Director. "We had no loss of life; we did have three people - a husband, a wife and their child - in a mobile home outside town that were in it when it was struck. They had non-life threatening injuries. It was treat-and-release at our local hospital in Glandorf in the emergency care center."
Dupont mayor Robert Heidenescher says in just a matter of moments, the town went from quiet to chaos.
"I didn't actually see the tornado, the only thing is I heard it," said Heidenescher. "I immediately called some council members and we tried to access the town, but there were so many power lines down and so many trees down, it just looked like we were in a small warzone."
A majority of residents still without power as of Thursday afternoon; AEP says power should have been restored by late Thursday evening.
The people of Dupont are coming together to help rebuild the place they call home. "It's a great community to live in, and I just appreciate the citizens so much," said Heidenescher. "Whenever there's a disaster, the community just really rallies around that area and it just helps so much. There was one I believe in 2017, but never this much destruction."
The damage is still pretty extensive in Dupont. Local law enforcement, EMA, FEMA, and local volunteers all stopping through the village to help with the cleanup efforts. There is still plenty to clean up, and the mayor has declared a state of emergency that will be sent to Governor DeWine's office.
