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Port Clinton, Ottawa County under states of emergency because of high water

Lake Erie's high-water levels are described as 'historic' and along with shoreline erosion, sand is being displaced from city beaches

PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Surging Lake Erie water levels have prompted Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider and the Ottawa County commissioners to declare states of emergency as the high water and repeated wave action is causing erosion and flooding. 

A substantial amount of sand from city beaches has been displaced as a result of the high water levels. 

"As a result of high water levels, I am declaring a State of Emergency within the City of Port Clinton. This declaration shall exist within the City of Port Clinton effective at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2019, and shall continue until a point in time when my Administration  is comfortable that our concerns about our shoreline and shoreline-related infrastructure issues are mitigated," Snider wrote. 

The state of emergency is in conjunction with a similar declaration by the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners covering the entire county. 

"City of Port Clinton administration has been in communication with ODNR, US Army Corp of Engineers,Ottawa County & Ohio EMA, Ohio of Department of Public Works, State Representative Arndt, Senator Gavarone, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, private engineering companies, First Energy and City crews/supervisors to identify a means of addressing our damages and concerns and to develop a plan of action to help prevent them from worsening and/or repeating themselves in the future," Snider wrote.

 The high water levels have caused and are continuing to cause erosion and flooding of shoreline areas and are creating "a continual financial burden within the City of Port Clinton and to communities throughout Ottawa County," the mayor said. 

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