Ottawa County declares state of emergency

PORT CLINTON — Ottawa County declared a state of emergency Tuesday following last week's tornado that struck south of Oak Harbor. The tornado was one of seven to strike the four-county area last Thursday. County emergency management director Fred Petersen explained the situation in a letter. The board of Ottawa County Commissioners declared a state of emergency in Ottawa County on June 20, 2023. The declaration is due to storms and an EF2 tornado that entered into Ottawa County the evening of June 15, 2023, destroying homes and property within the county. Ottawa County residents continue to recover from the storms that occurred last Thursday. The commissioners are executing this disaster declaration to permit the use of some emergency funds that various agencies may have available to aid in their recovery. The Ottawa County building department reminds residents that permits are required for repair of damage. Also any questions to verify contractors can be directed to their office at 419-734-6767. The Ottawa County auditor, Jennifer Widmer, advises that property owners with buildings either damaged or destroyed should complete an application for deduction for destroyed or damaged real property form. The form is available at the auditor's website: https://ottawaoh auditor.ddti.net. If you have any questions please call the Auditor's office at 419-734-6740. We urge residents and visitors of Ottawa County to review your tornado warning procedures and discuss them with your families and/or associates. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the county's free cell phone alerting program at: https://entry.inspironlogistics.com/ottawa_oh/wens.cfm. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office.