The City of Columbus is sending government employees home early today in waves to help clear the downtown area ahead of the next group of storms expected to sweep across central Ohio this afternoon. Leaders are encouraging others in the area to do the same.
By reducing the number of people in downtown buildings and clearing the roads, Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said first responders will be able to focus more on suburban areas hit by power outages, structural damage, downed trees and flooding.
"The Governors Chief of Staff and Public Safety has encouraged us to try to get as many folks out of downtown by the time the next storm hits," Ginther said.
Ginther called the ongoing series of storms "devastating," and said if the temperature were
below freezing it would be considered a level three snow emergency due to the high levels of precipitation and amount of damage.
Storms are expected to continue into the coming days, with the next major cluster hitting Columbus at about 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City and state officials sent home early to clear downtown Columbus
