Storm response lauded
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WARREN -- City and community leaders praised Warren residents who helped each other during the weekend's wind storm.
The storm, it turns out, did have an impact on the city's water supply as it knocked out power and downed trees and power lines.
At a news conference Tuesday involving government, school, community and church leadership, Service Safety Director Eddie Colbert said water filtration plant workers saw all of the city's pump system lose power. They had to keep the system moving on diesel-fueled power, with the staff working 18-hour shifts during the crisis.
"The water plant lost power for like about 14 hours," Colbert said, noting that the last pump station got back online Tuesday morning.
Colbert saluted his workers, including safety forces in fire and police, operations and water for working hard during the first hours after the storm.
Mayor Doug Franklin thanked those who worked to keep everyone safe and provide assistance to those without power. He said as the community transitions from recovery to cleanup, everyone needs to "remain vigilant."
"Please check on and help your elderly neighbor. Offer to help someone," Franklin advised residents as he announced a schedule for branch cleanup that resembled the regular fall and spring cleanup schedule by wards.
The mayor stated that city workers are prohibited by law from coming onto private property to assist in cleaning up downed trees, branches and other storm debris. It is up to the resident to get the bundles of debris to the curb for pickup, he said.
Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa said if residents miss their assigned pickup date, call the city offices.
"We will try to assist you as much as we can," he said.
Franklin said about 500 homes in the city remained without power as of Tuesday morning, with several streets still closed because of downed wires and trees, especially in the hard-hit 1st Ward.
FOOD AND HEAT
First Ward Councilman Todd Johnson, also pastor of Second Baptist Church, said he wanted to thank the churches that stayed open late Sunday night helping to keep residents without power warm and providing food.
"We had to get more pizza," said Johnson, who noted that state assistance will replenish food for those on the SNAP program who had lost power for four hours or more. Johnson said his church had provided help to residents from northern-tier Trumbull County communities such as Farmington.
Unfortunately, Franklin said all other residents who lost power did not qualify for any similar emergency assistance from the state.
"The governor has to declare us a disaster area for us to get general assistance. However, we have a wealth of resources available locally," Franklin said, noting that food pantries at churches, the Warren Family Mission, the Salvation Army and even the Warren school district are ready to serve. "Trumbull County was harder hit, and we will not be turning away anyone who needs help."
Dante Capers, the city school district's associate superintendent for student affairs, said all school buildings in the city have a food pantry to which residents can come from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days per week. He said both non-perishable and ready-to-eat items are available.
"If you can't get to school to pick the items up, you can ask that the food be sent home with your student," Capers said.
Van Nelson, CEO of the Trumbull County Action Program, said he hopes to pursue state community block grant money to assist some low-income areas hit hard by the storm.
The Rev. Joseph Walker, president of the Interfaith Ministerial Alliance, said he was impressed by the city's quick response, especially from the Operations Department that put in temporary four-way stops at major intersections that lost their traffic signals. He also saluted some churches that helped other churches that lost power.
Franklin and others cautioned about downed wires.
"Even if you know that it is not an electrical wire, still don't touch it. Down the road, that wire may be entangled with a live wire," Franklin said. "We have been fortunate to not have any loss of life in this storm, and we want to keep it that way."
gvogrin@tribtoday.com