Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1950-02-17
ALERT GUARDS.
AS WATERS RISE.
IN FLOOD AREAS
Many Roads Inundated AS
Rains Cause Rivers and
Creeks To Overflow

assist, the flood conditions thru
out northwestern Ohio were allie
waited Thursday although the
threat of further rains kept emer-
gency committees ready for i'm
mediate action in neighboring
cities.
Numerous roads are closed in
the area, including Route 2 near
Bono (water also covers the road
in Erie Township near the Three
Mile Crossing), Route 163 be-
tween Oak Harbor and Elmore;
the Oak or-Fremont road,
and Route SO near the sugar beet
factory in Fremont.
With Sunday nights slushy
snow and rain storm giving big
assist, the Portage River and
Lake Erie reached flood stage
Monday and Tuesday as sewers
and drainage bitches were clogged
with the overflow.
At Catawba Cliffs Beach Club,
Bob Kyle reported the water stood
four feet above the low water
datum on the gauge installed last
June by the Lake Service Bureau.
The lake water was at level with
the docks in that area, and had
overfiowed in areas along the
Portage River and near the Yacht
club.
Port Clinton's Ohio National
Guard unit, the 1428th Engineer
Treadway Bridge Company, was
alerted Tuesday noon to stand by
for possible emergency action in
the Fremont -Tiffin- Findlay flood
area.
Other national guard units in
this vicinity were also alerted at
the same time. Port Clinton's
unit could be of definite aid il
flood rescue work, as it is equip
ped with outboard motor boats
pontoons and other equipment.
Officials of, the threatened cit.
les sent workers to Camp Perry
Tuesday where 600 army cots
were issued by Major John Ell
liott, camp superintendent, ano
taken to Fremont and Tiffin fol
possible emergency usage.
AS waters continued to rise il
the Sandusky River, schools were
dismissed in Fremont and lowlano
residents prepared to evacuate
! their homes.
Scores of rural roads were in
undated, and State Route SO, be
tween Port Clinton and Fremont
was ordered closed early Wednes
day when river waters surget
across the heavily travelled high
way.
Port Clinton police were mott
fed Wednesday that the Stat.
bridge in Fremont was in danger
with the water stage at 1877 feet
and that Front Street was unde,
water as was the area near Me
mortal Park.
Numerous emergency flood com
mittees were operating in Ere
mont. Paul Kridler is chairman
of the disaster preparedness com
mittee and Mrs. Walter Sneide
of the Sandusky County Red Cros
is in charge of the canteen com
mittee. Fire Chief Urban Myer
had lined up numerous boats fo
use in possible rescue measures
Mayor Harold Whitcomb hat
stated that the 12-foot stage coul'
be recognized as the danger poin
at the river bridge, but that poin
was surpassed Tuesday evening.
! Meanwhile food conditions con
tinued to prevail in the Port Clin
ton lowlands area, but they ar
not as serious as elsewhere.
Fer the first time in man,
months, the high water covere'
Route 2 in Erie Township near tn
Three Mile Crossing in the are
where the road change is pro
posed. Nearer the city, waite
splashed over the highway a
stormy Lake Erie tossed it's wave
against the rocks.
Genoa schools were closed Mon
day due to the slushy snow an
, ice on back roads. The ice cor
ditior also hit Woodville, wher
schools were closed, but no ic
was in evidence here.
By Tuesday, the slushy sno'
} haG almost disappeared but tn
rains continued and lowlands wer
} flooded throughout the are;
Many residents in the city fougf
losing fight to keep their base
merlts from flooding.