Lake County Fire Departments of ICE JAMS Monitoring

Lake County, Ohio (Woio) – All rain and snow and this recent warm weather climate have created some potentially dangerous conditions in some of our local rivers.

The local fire departments in Lake County are monitoring the rivers in search of dangerous ice jams that could lead to floods.

The thick pieces of ice are blocking the flow of water in parts of the Chagrin river in Eastlake. Jason Cahill’s lieutenant in the Eastlake fire department is very familiar with ICE Jams.

“Only with the climate we have had because it has been cold for a long time and the ice has become really thick and, as it tries to push, it is also being supported when it meets an ice that has not broken.”

The most dangerous concern with ice jams is flooding, but at this time Lieutenant Cahill is not too worried.

“At this time, fortunately the river is rinsed a lot, but we still have some traffic jams, the river is stable but we continue to monitor. We have a couple of places that we will monitor routinely and at this time the levels are at safe levels and, hopefully, the ice will come here soon. “

The Painesville fire department is also monitoring Grand River.

“It’s dangerous, we don’t want anyone to approach that water,” says the captain of the Fire Department of Painesville, John Niehus, at eight feet, the river enters the area of ​​action. At this time, the water is at nine feet. “That means we monitor it closely, and we will keep it closed until it is sure.”

They have even closed part of the Kiwanis Recreation Park due to increasing water levels. Even so, in Eastlake they are only seeing the river and Lieutenant Cahill says they will alert the community if something changes.

“We have ships here in the fire department, we have a couple of different ships. Many members here are trained in water rescue. Many times for the members who have been here for a long time we will come to their main door and we will offer them to rescue them Perse, we can take it to a safe and dry and warm place and most people only expect it. “

The teams will continue to monitor both the Chagrin River and the Grand River during the night even using drones to obtain air views and will be prepared to make evacuations if it is about that.

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