A high wind warning is in effect until 8 p.m. April 4 for parts of Northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania, including Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties, according to the National Weather Service. Gusts of 45 to 50 mph from the southwest and west are expected through late afternoon or early evening.
Residents should expect some tree branches and power lines to come down, according to NWS. The wet ground and strong winds could lead to trees being uprooted.
Authorities have been rescuing people from their homes and cars who’ve been stranded by flooding in western and central Ohio.
Firefighters in Fairfield County near Lancaster shuttled out at least a dozen people early April 4 after their neighborhoods were surrounded by several feet of water.
In the Springfield area, crews rescued a woman trapped in her car and a man who came to help after she drove around a road closed sign and got caught in high water.
The flooding follows strong winds possibly from tornadoes that knocked down utility poles and wires and damaged buildings April 3.
NWS investigators plan to survey damage April 4 in areas including Grove City just south of Columbus and in rural areas near Springfield and Dayton to determine what caused it.