FLOODING IN HOCKING FACILITY FORCES PERRY COUNTY JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES TO SCRAMBLE | December 27, 2022

FLOODING IN HOCKING FACILITY FORCES PERRY COUNTY JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES TO SCRAMBLE

Extensive, widespread flooding inside Hocking College’s Perry Campus facility has forced Perry County Job and Family Services (PCJFS) to scramble this morning to secure new locations for carrying out its work of helping county residents.

According to PCJFS Director Cheryl Boley, “On behalf of the people we serve, we are frustrated to be in this position, but I am happy to share with our community that we have temporarily located at a Perry County Board of Developmental Disabilities (PCBDD) building located at 600 Senior Drive in New Lexington. Our doors are open for business right now this morning at this emergency location in PCBDD’s David C. Couch Connections Center. This became necessary as Hocking was unable to provide us meaningful space in other parts of their building unaffected by flooding."

Director Boley continued, “Our hours remain unchanged as our doors there will be open from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. as usual. Our phones have been rerouted so we can still be reached at (740)342-3551 and at all of our other regular contact phone numbers.”

Flooding at the Hocking College facility where PCJFS had been renting space, was first reported at 10:37 a.m. on Monday morning. PCJFS staff were immediately on site and worked with the New Lexington Village Water Department to shut off the water and stabilize the situation.

PCJFS recovery activities are taking place this morning, December 27, after which the lower level of the Hocking Building is likely to be condemned while appropriate safety inspection, clean-up and repairs can be completed.

“I want to thank the county commissioners and especially PCBDD Superintendent David Couch and Perry County Children Services Executive Director Amy Frame for their assistance in allowing us to serve our customers without interruption,” said Director Boley. “And I especially want to thank our staff and our state agency partners who went to work on their Christmas holiday yesterday to be sure that those in need of our services would receive assistance despite the calamity at the Hocking facility.”

The new Perry County Opportunity Center now under construction above the Hocking facility along OH-37 was unaffected by this incident. PCJFS had been leasing space from Hocking College while the Opportunity Center was being built. Plans for PCJFS to move into Opportunity Center when its doors open in July are unchanged.

“We will be learning more about the condition and reparability of the Hocking facility and the college’s response in the coming days,” reported Director Boley. “While this is an unfortunate and unsettled situation, our priority of serving our community remains our focus.”

David C. Couch Connections Center - 600 Senior Drive, New Lexington, OH  43764

Flooding damage. Click on the photos below to view full size.