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Washington, D.C. - About 296 people call the Ohio River village of Moscow home. It’s one of the smallest communities in Clermont County.
And now, it faces an enormous challenge.
More than 100 homes and other structures were damaged by a tornado that ripped through the village on Friday night.
It was feared that those houses left standing might be structurally unsound, and so all residents were initially asked to leave, Mayor Tim Suter told me when I toured Moscow on Saturday to assess the damage.
Tragically, one resident, Carol Forste, 64, died after her house collapsed. She had been a member of Village Council since 1994, Mayor Suter said. Also reported killed were two other Clermont County residents, James Prater, 54, and Bill Adkins, 58, both of nearby Franklin Township.
My prayers go out to the families and friends of all who lost loved ones, as well as those who lost their homes and treasured possessions.
About a dozen Moscow residents refused to leave after the storm hit Friday – despite the risk of explosion and fire posed by propane leaks, Mayor Suter told me. That danger had been eliminated by Saturday.
I spoke to several villagers who had insisted on staying in their homes. One man, whose house and property suffered damage from falling trees, called out my name and walked over to chat. “I didn’t lose anything important,” he said with a smile, happy to have been spared.
The U.S. Post Office and nearby Village Hall had their roofs torn off.
Other areas of Ohio’s Second Congressional District, which I represent, also were hit. Five separate tornados were reported in Ohio on Friday. One touched down in Scioto County and three in Adams County, but the one that hit Moscow and traveled on into Brown County was the worst – with winds of up to 160 miles an hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Three people were hurt in Adams County, and some livestock was killed. In addition, at least five homes and some barns were destroyed in Adams County. There also was property damage in Brown County and Scioto County, the weather service said. Trees were knocked down in many places, including Pike County.
I drove throughout the district Saturday and surveyed the damage in several counties. In Franklin Township, 37 homes or other structures were damaged, a Clermont County official said. In Tate Township, 126 homes or other structures were damaged. And in Washington Township, 23 homes or other structures were damaged.
But the devastation I witnessed in Moscow was especially disheartening. The village is practically gone.
The storm ripped away the top floors of what resident Dennis Skeene told me were the two oldest houses in Moscow, both brick structures that had stood along the riverfront for about 200 years.
One of them was the Fee Villa, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad. I stood next to fallen bricks from the house at the corner of Broadway and Water Street, contemplating the force it took to cause such destruction.
While the damage is nearly overwhelming, residents of Moscow have rebuilt after previous storms and floods.
The tornado struck 15 years to the day after houses along the river were inundated by the Flood of 1997, Moscow resident Beth Nevel told me. Some frame homes were destroyed then, but many historic brick houses were able to withstand the high water. And yet, not even brick houses could weather this tornado.
Nevel is the former director of the Clermont County emergency management agency, and she knows it might be tough to rebuild. Because the village is in a flood plain, regulations would require that new homes be elevated to avoid future floods, she said.
Will villagers want to rebuild this time? “That’s the big question,” Mayor Suter said softly, conveying the heaviness of his heart. “It’s pretty devastating.”
I have begun discussions with village, township, county, and state officials about how the federal government can help.
Governor John Kasich and I had an extensive conversation about this while touring the devastated areas together Saturday, and he told me that at this point he believes the state of Ohio is capable of handling the cleanup on its own.
If – after further assessment of the damage – the governor requests federal assistance on behalf of Clermont County, I will do everything in my power to expedite obtaining help.
I was told it’s possible that the communities might request federal help with the rebuilding effort, and if so I will be there for them.
The most critical need is for temporary housing. I visited with some residents at New Richmond High School, where a shelter has been established. Several seemed happy just to be alive.
What also impressed me was how many volunteers from neighboring towns stepped up to contribute clothing and other items to help the victims.
Many people have lost much, but they haven’t lost their faith in God or their community.
With our help – and our prayers – the villagers of Moscow will find the strength to rise out of the rubble and stand strong once again.
Donations to help the tornado victims are being accepted at the 4-H building at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, 1000 Locust St. in Owensville. The donation site will be open from noon until 7 p.m. Monday, and from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week. For information on what items are needed, call (513) 641-6082 or visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clermont-County-Fair/115428521815953
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