Morrow County EMA director: storm knocked out power for thousands; 211 recommended for residents seeking help
March 16, 2026 | Morrow County, Ohio
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Morrow County EMA Director Michael Nelson told commissioners that the recent wind and storm event caused widespread outages and stretched emergency resources.
"The peak that I was able to catch was almost 12,000 people without power in the county," Michael Nelson said, and during the meeting he reported outage counts dropping from about 696 to 584 meters still without power. He identified several concentrated outages, including a large pocket near Chesterville and a stretch between Williamsport and State Route 340 where a tree and downed lines affected service.
Nelson described coordination with multiple utilities — American Electric, Consolidated and FirstEnergy — and said crews responded to a notable site where a large tree fell on lines by the VFW. He said the county's jail was operating on generator power for an extended period and that staff monitored diesel supplies: "The jail did go through half of their capacity of fuels," he said.
Nelson also raised public‑safety concerns from downed lines and grass fires that occupied volunteer fire departments. He urged residents to use the 211 non‑emergency referral line for help locating warming centers, shelters or other services rather than calling 911 for non‑emergencies: "211 is the best resource," Nelson said, noting the county would push information to 211 in a major event so callers can be directed to local shelter locations.
On debris, Nelson said village and township pickup practices vary and that the county will coordinate whether to stage a centralized drop site. He recommended an after‑action meeting that includes engineering and fire personnel to review response and resource deployment.
The board thanked EMA staff for their weekend efforts and discussed the pressure on 911 call centers during peak demand. Commissioners and emergency staff said they would collect additional reports from residents who experienced prolonged outages and expect administrative follow‑up on emergency fuel and debris‑management costs.
The commissioners did not take further formal action during Nelson's report; they moved on to other agenda items after the briefing.
"The peak that I was able to catch was almost 12,000 people without power in the county," Michael Nelson said, and during the meeting he reported outage counts dropping from about 696 to 584 meters still without power. He identified several concentrated outages, including a large pocket near Chesterville and a stretch between Williamsport and State Route 340 where a tree and downed lines affected service.
Nelson described coordination with multiple utilities — American Electric, Consolidated and FirstEnergy — and said crews responded to a notable site where a large tree fell on lines by the VFW. He said the county's jail was operating on generator power for an extended period and that staff monitored diesel supplies: "The jail did go through half of their capacity of fuels," he said.
Nelson also raised public‑safety concerns from downed lines and grass fires that occupied volunteer fire departments. He urged residents to use the 211 non‑emergency referral line for help locating warming centers, shelters or other services rather than calling 911 for non‑emergencies: "211 is the best resource," Nelson said, noting the county would push information to 211 in a major event so callers can be directed to local shelter locations.
On debris, Nelson said village and township pickup practices vary and that the county will coordinate whether to stage a centralized drop site. He recommended an after‑action meeting that includes engineering and fire personnel to review response and resource deployment.
The board thanked EMA staff for their weekend efforts and discussed the pressure on 911 call centers during peak demand. Commissioners and emergency staff said they would collect additional reports from residents who experienced prolonged outages and expect administrative follow‑up on emergency fuel and debris‑management costs.
The commissioners did not take further formal action during Nelson's report; they moved on to other agenda items after the briefing.
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