Pegram said it’ll be days before power is restored in Goshen, and Duke Energy has estimated that more than 100 power poles need to be replaced before power lines can even be strung. He said there are currently dozens of Duke Energy crews in Goshen and hundreds more are on the way.
Multiple buildings were severely damaged by the tornado — which was ruled an EF2 tornado by the National Weather Service on Thursday.
Pegram said around 150 to 200 known buildings have been damaged, but assessments are underway Thursday to get a more accurate understanding of the impact.
“The blessing in this was the area that was hit is our more rural part of the township,” Pegram said. “So Goshen has a suburban component and a rural component, and it definitely hit our more rural area.”
Despite this, the homes and buildings that were hit have significant damage, Pegram said.
Credit: WCPO
Credit: WCPO
“We’re lucky. We’re very blessed,” Pegram said. “It could’ve been a lot, lot worse.”
The tornado hit Goshen around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The township is under a state of emergency.
There were no fatalities or serious injuries, but one first responder and one resident were slightly injured.
As cleanup is underway in the township, an emergency shelter has been set up and staffed by the Red Cross at Goshen High School. There, families can receive shelter, food, water and more resources, including oxygen and oxygen masks for those that may need home setups.
Emergency management has a hotline for unmet needs: People can call (513) 735-8500.
“I think No. 1 we need is prayers. To be with our community,” Pegram said. “We just need time to allow everybody to do their job. We have all the resources we need at this point. We just need neighbors to take care of neighbors.”
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