VERMILION, Ohio (WOIO) – Below freezing temperatures caused Lake Erie and local rivers to freeze, but the problem comes when they start to thaw.
The river in Erie County is frozen, but risks of ice breaks threaten major damage once it thaws(WOIO)
Vermilion Mayor Russ Owens said a thawing river puts his city at risk of ice jams. Those huge ice blocks move downriver crashing into businesses and homes along the banks of the Vermilion River.
“We have an entire community of homes that are in what we call the lagoons that have waterways in their back yards for their boats and we also have homes that are south of the bridge that are right on the water. If we didn’t break the ice they wouldn’t exist. They would be totally flooded,” Owens said.
Ty Webber manages the Quaker Steak and Lube. It replaced the historic McGarvey’s Restaurant, which was destroyed by ice that swept downstream towards the mouth of Lake Erie in 1969.
“We do have a lower section to our restaurant where it’s right on the water so any sort of increase in volume it’s a problem for us,” Webber said.
City prepares ice-breaking response
Owens calls the breaking of the ice the most crucial thing to the life-blood of Vermilion.
“There’s nothing more important to the city of Vermilion than making sure the ice is broken so that it doesn’t back up and flood the river,” he said.
The city of about 5,000 is watching and waiting for nature to make the next move. Then it will use what Owens calls a huge backhoe to chip away at the ice to relieve the tension of a thawing river.
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