ASHTABULA, Ohio — Parts of Northeast Ohio were digging out Thursday after one of the season’s first measurable snowfalls. Overnight snow caused crashes, road closures and a snow emergency in Ashtabula County.
RELATED:Ashtabula County hit with heavy snow
“I actually brought the ruler out,” said Tasha Stilwell. “We got a little more than a foot out in Conneaut.”
The Conneaut mother said her home’s power was knocked out during the overnight snowfall so she decided to bring her kids into Ashtabula to get out of the house.
“[State Route] 20 was insane. It took us about an hour and a half to get down here because all of the highway was shut down,” Stilwell explained.
Interstate 90 shut down early Thursday between SR 11 and SR 7 in the eastern part of the county. Traffic in the area came to a standstill for hours, until the interstate reopened around 2 p.m. Drivers detouring on backroads and local highways ran into treacherous conditions.
“It’s crazy. The plow trucks, I’ve seen quite a few of them on the roads, but it takes time for that salt to activate. So it’s rough. It’s really rough - a lot of pits. I was scared I broke a ball joint, but I think I’m ok,” Stilwell said.
Nathan Johnston added, “It’s been a battle. I drove to Conneaut this morning and the roads were all ice covered. It was horrible.”
He drove his four-wheeler into Ashtabula from Plymouth Township to help clear driveways.
“I know snow came out of nowhere, so I just want to help out where I can. So now I’ll probably drive around and see if anybody else needs help,” Johnston said.
Stilwell also pulled over to lend a hand when she saw an elderly man struggling to cross the street in the heavy snow.
“You get that out here. [In] a small town, everybody tries to help everybody,” she said.
By midday, the Ashtabula County Sheriff lowered an earlier Level 3 Snow Emergency to Level 1. The designation means roads are still hazardous and blowing and drifting snow is possible.
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