CROOKSVILLE – Erica Atkinson, one of the owners of Jim's Barbershop in this Perry County village, was planning to give out 50 free back-to-school haircuts to kids on Aug. 13.
But on Aug. 12, Atkinson and others were cleaning out the mud from the barbershop on the first-floor of a two-story building at 34 W. Main St. after feet-high floodwaters from Moxahala Creek and Burley Run overran the village of about 2,400 people, leaving destruction in its wake. Atkinson, 44, was only able to get to the barbershop today.
"It's devastating to see that you can't do nothing," Atkinson said.
While she was cleaning, several people stopped by asking if she needed help. Jim's Barbershop, which was owned by her father before her and is now owned by her and her brothers,
has been in business for 30 years and is known for offering affordable haircuts at $12 each and for helping with fundraisers and supporting veterans.
"Everybody loves this place. Our prices are decent for them, the ones that can't afford," Atkinson said. "We're here for everybody."
Atkinson said she still hopes to be able to provide haircuts for local schoolchildren.
Jim's Barber Shop was among the dozens of buildings in Crooksville with obvious signs of water damage after high waters swept through the area on Aug. 11. According to the Zanesville Times Recorder, local officials declared a state of emergency following the flooding and widespread power outages, and first responders performed hundreds of rescue operations throughout Perry and Muskingum Counties. The Dispatch has confirmed that at least one person died during the flooding.
According to local officials, at least 380 people have been displaced by the flooding.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who activated the Ohio National Guard to support the area, traveled to Perry County in the afternoon of Aug. 12 to survey damage and held a press conference at the Crooksville Volunteer Fire Department. He also spoke with impacted residents staying at the Red Cross shelter at the county fairgrounds, according to a release from his office.
At the press conference where he was joined by local officials and elected leaders who represent the region, DeWine thanked the first responders who were still out working to make sure everyone in the area was safe.
"Everyone did an absolutely phenomenal job," DeWine said. "This is a resilient community, these are resilient counties – they will come back as they have always come back."
Darryl Newlon, Crooksville Fire Chief, described a situation where one first responder crew lost their boat in the flood and was stranded for three hours.
"All the agencies, the members of the fire department, Crooksville, Roseville, everybody that helped, obviously they're all heroes," Newlon said.
The crisis in Perry County is part of the larger destruction wrought across Ohio by severe weather on Aug. 10 and 11.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther declared an emergency for the city in response to the series of intense storms continuing to pass through central Ohio. Damage was widespread, with Clintonville, Linden, Olde Towne East, the South Side and East Side among the areas hardest hit.
Brian Paul, 36, a Crooksville resident, was awakened by phone calls and people knocking on his door in the early hours of Aug. 11. When he went outside around 3:40 a.m., there was some water, but not much. He went back inside and put a shirt on, and when he came back out, the waters were much higher.
"It raised so quick, we didn't have time to do nothing but get the kids to the car and leave," Paul said.
Paul said his family got to higher ground and stayed there until the afternoon. When he came back, there was a foot of water in his house – and mud everywhere. Dozens of his extended family members were at his house on Aug. 12 as he ripped up the carpets and got the mud out of the home.
"We've lost a good bit, and it's going to take a while to build it back up," Paul said.
Around Crooksville, people were out helping with the cleanup, and a command post and aid station had been set up at the Crooksville Volunteer Fire Department station.
At the fire station, Hope for Crisis, a Millersburg-based nonprofit, was distributing free meals to first responders and affected community members. Jonas Soyer, with the nonprofit, said the food was important for people who don't have power and to keep first responders going.
"We try to give people hope in a time of crisis and shine our light for Christ," Soyer said.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Perry County communities devastated in wake of flooding
