A tree fell on a house on West Truesdell Street in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A tree uprooted at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A tree uprooted at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A tree uprooted at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A tree split in two at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A tree split in two at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
Pot-Luck Greenhouse, about a half mile from the I-71 North Exit 45 in Chester Township, sustained damage from Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The greenhouse is closed for repairs and will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Pot-Luck Greenhouse | Facebook
Pot-Luck Greenhouse, about a half mile from the I-71 North Exit 45 in Chester Township, sustained damage from Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The greenhouse is closed for repairs and will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Pot-Luck Greenhouse | Facebook
Pot-Luck Greenhouse, about a half mile from the I-71 North Exit 45 in Chester Township, sustained damage from Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The greenhouse is closed for repairs and will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Pot-Luck Greenhouse | Facebook
A road closed sign blocks West Main and Gallup streets in Wilmington due to downed trees and power lines after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
Trees tangle with power lines on West Main and Gallup streets in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
A downed light pole along Main Street in Wilmington after Hurricane Helene moved into Clinton County on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal
Dylan Combs and Steve Smith from Wilmington College’s Physical Plant staff clean up remnants of the weekend’s storm on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
Wilmington College | Facebook
Winds on Friday afternoon on Sept. 27, 2024, gusted up to 67 mph, ripping large limbs from trees and cutting power to much of the Wilmington College campus for more than 24 hours.
Wilmington College | Facebook
Winds on Friday afternoon on Sept. 27, 2024, gusted up to 67 mph, ripping large limbs from trees and cutting power to much of the Wilmington College campus for more than 24 hours.
Wilmington College | Facebook
The largest and oldest Elm Tree in Clinton County on Christine Krisa’s property, survived Dutch Elm Disease in the 1930s, was split in half by strong winds during the recent storm. The 60-foot tree, located in a local park, will need to be removed due to the extensive damage.
Christine Krisa
CLINTON COUNTY, Ohio — Clinton County has started its recovery process after being impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which brought widespread wind, rain, and flooding to the region. The storm, which moved through the southern Ohio Valley on Friday, caused significant damage, leaving over 5,500 residents without power at its peak and causing widespread hazards across the county.
“At the peak of the storm, Clinton County experienced over 5,500 power outages, leaving a significant portion of our community in the dark,” said Thomas Breckel, Clinton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director. “The sheer volume of downed trees and power lines posed major challenges for restoration efforts, but crews have been working tirelessly to restore service. This event has reminded us of the importance of preparedness and community resilience in the face of severe weather.”
Breckel also praised the efforts of American Regulator USA Disaster Response, stating, “They have been an incredible asset to our community this weekend, stepping up to assist our seniors, handicapped, and low-income households with debris management. They’ve already cleared five properties and are standing by for utility crews to address two more. Their dedication and hard work have been invaluable in helping those most in need recover from the storm.”
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Wilmington, Hurricane Helene’s remnants produced wind gusts in excess of 60 mph across the region, with Clinton County recording the highest wind gust at 67 mph. Additionally, some local observers recorded nearly four inches of rainfall during the storm’s height. Breckel added, “How those rain gauges managed to measure rain blowing sideways is a mystery to me, but one thing is clear—it was a lot of rain in a very short period of time.”
In some areas of south-central Ohio, rainfall exceeded 4-6 inches, leading to flash flooding and several instances of road closures.
In Clinton County, the storm caused disruptions to power services and infrastructure. At 9:25 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, 5,502 customers were reported without power. Power companies worked quickly to restore services, with the Blanchester Board of Public Affairs (BPA) reporting that power was restored to most residents by early Saturday morning. Additionally, 4,298 AES customers, 135 Duke Energy customers, and five South Central Power customers in the county were left without power due to downed lines. Power outages also impacted critical locations, including the Clinton County Administrative Campus and Sheriff’s Office on Davids Drive, as well as parts of State Route 134.
The Clinton County EMA has advised residents to inspect their properties for potential damage and hazards as recovery continues. The storm led to over 40 reports of trees being downed across roadways, along with countless instances of communication lines falling.
Among the most significant losses from the storm is one of Clinton County’s largest and oldest trees, a 60-foot Elm Tree that survived Dutch Elm Disease (DED) on Christine Krisa’s property. DED, which was introduced to the eastern United States in the 1930s via diseased elm logs, claimed many elms throughout the country. The first confirmed case in the U.S. was in Ohio in 1930, making this Elm’s survival especially notable. Unfortunately, Friday’s storm split the tree’s “Y” branching in half, and it will now need to be removed, according to Krisa.
The Elm Tree is not the only natural loss the county has faced. Over the past years, Clinton County has lost 48 Ash trees due to the invasive Emerald Ash Borer insect and several Austrian Pine trees to the fungal disease Diplodia Blight. The county is currently losing all of its Colorado Blue Spruce trees due to the destructive Adelgid insect, compounding the ecological challenges the community is facing.
