Mahoning County says countywide debris blitz largely complete after July storms

County emergency management officials told the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners that a countywide bulk debris‑removal operation launched after the July storms has effectively concluded and that operations are transitioning back to local control.

"To date, we've hauled 1,719 dump truck loads of heavy bulk debris," said Conroe Halloran, introduced to the board as head of the county EMA, describing concentrated operations in the heaviest‑impacted areas. Halloran said the county estimates about $3,000,000 in losses tied to the storm, including utility impacts that required generator deployments to keep sanitary systems running.

Halloran said the unified command post and county response briefed and coordinated with state officials and designated Borvan, Canfield, and Austintown as the primary operational focus for the blitz. He called the siren network "the last resort warning system" and urged residents to enable smartphone alerts, sign up for the county emergency alert system and consider NOAA weather radios while crews work on siren repairs.

Commissioners and the county engineer praised EMA, ODOT and township partners for quickly mobilizing equipment and personnel. Commissioners said the operation removed the heaviest debris from streets and public right‑of‑way but cautioned that household and yard cleanup will remain a local responsibility as the county demobilizes.

Officials said the county's engineers have returned to routine duties and staff expect to remain available for remaining localized cleanup and follow‑up support. Halloran urged residents to contact their municipality for yard‑level debris concerns and to follow established drainage‑repair procedures.