Ohio governor to check out flood damage

Associated Press

FINDLAY, Ohio -- Ohio Governor Ted Strickland will tour flood-ravaged Findlay and other affected areas in Hancock and Putnam counties today.

Yesterday, the water along the Blanchard River finally began to recede in Findlay. But other northwest Ohio towns are braced for more water. Restaurant owners in Grand Rapids along the Maumee River cleared out their freezers as floodwater threatened to swamp the historic downtown. The National Weather Service says the river was expected to crest at 19.5 feet -- 4.5 feet above flood stage -- sometime this morning.

About 30 miles upriver in Defiance, a fire captain said yesterday that most residents were leaving their homes. Authorities were laying down sandbags and turning off electricity and gas on some streets.