Clermont County declares state of emergency as flood recovery shifts to damage assessments and relief operations

The Clermont County Board of Commissioners on April 9 adopted a resolution declaring a state of emergency for the county related to recent rainstorms and Ohio River flooding and authorized the waiver of county building and inspection fees for flood-damaged properties.

The emergency declaration, adopted as Resolution Number 037-25, was followed by a separate resolution, 038-25, to waive county building and inspection fees for permits and inspections related to damage from the floods. Both motions were moved, seconded and approved by roll call with Commissioners Bachelor, Corcoran and Painter voting yes.

Pam Haberkost, director of the Clermont County Emergency Management Agency, told the board a unified command post remains active in New Richmond and that water is only slowly receding. “We still have many roads that are closed, and they will continue to be closed even as the water recedes because our public works agencies . . . need to get out there to push off the debris,” Haberkost said.

Haberkost gave a status update on damage assessments and utilities: at last count county staff identified 89 unique address points affected, 79 electric shutoffs and 39 gas shutoffs, with the bulk of impacts in the village of New Richmond and parts of Pierce and Monroe townships. She said rapid external…