EMA & Homeland Security

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Mission

The mission of the Lorain County Office of Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and Homeland Security is to serve the citizens of Lorain County through effective planning for natural and man-made disasters. Our goal is to save lives and to protect property through coordination of an integrated emergency management system with all emergency response organizations, support services and volunteers.

What We Do

We will be an advocate for greater community efforts, including educating the general public to mitigate and prepare for potential emergencies. We will support efforts to train and exercise emergency responders in both the public and private sectors. We will manage and coordinate efforts toward a rapid recovery from disasters with an effective disaster assistance program.

This agency is committed to effective actions to prevent some disasters and to reduce the impact of those over which we have no control.

More Info

• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program
• Lorain County CERT
• CERT Volunteering
• LCCERT Image Gallery
• Technical Rescue Response
• Threat Advisory System
• Emergency Essentials (PDF)
• Staff Listing (If you cannot find a person's extension, call the Automated Switchboard at 440-329-5000 for a listing of County Offices. For more online staff information, please see the Staff Directory.)

CERT Online Resources

• Citizen Corps - Uniting Communities. Preparing the Nation
• Ohio CERT
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service
• Serve Ohio - Strengthening Ohio's Communities through Service and Volunteerism
• Ready - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
• Ohio Medical Reserve Corps

Be Prepared

• Drought
• Earthquakes
• Extreme Heat/Cold
• Floods
• Severe Weather
• Thunderstorms/Lightning
• Tornadoes
• Winter Weather

Related Topics

• NOAA Weather Radio
• Weather Radar
• 7-Day Forecast
• Buckeye Traffic
• Ready.Gov

What's New?

Prepare for Natural Disasters: Flood Hazards

Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. However, not all floods are alike. Some floods develop slowly, while others, such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states.

Flash floods can occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, a dam or levee failure, or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water carrying rocks, mud and other debris.

Overland flooding, the most common type of flooding event, typically occurs when waterways such as rivers or streams overflow their banks as a result of rainwater or a possible levee breach and cause flooding in surrounding areas. It can also occur when rainfall or snowmelt exceeds the capacity of underground pipes, or the capacity of streets and drains designed to carry flood water away from urban areas.

Be aware of flood hazards no matter where you live or work, but especially if you are in low-lying areas, near water, behind a levee or downstream from a dam. Even very small streams, gullies, creeks, culverts, dry streambeds or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry weather can flood.

For more information about how to deal with flooding, please visit Ready.gov.

Online Flooding Resources Now Available

The Lorain County Office of EMA and Homeland Security has released the following online resources to help residents cope with the flooding: Tips for Purchasing Flood Insurance (PDF), Guidelines for Ohio Home Improvement (PDF), and lastly a Recovering Fact Sheet (PDF). Our office is also trying to secure state and federal funds to assist local homeowners. For questions about flooding issues, please call us at 440-329-5117, or email us.