CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has issued a Declaration of Emergency in the city after a second round of severe rain and flooding in four days.
"The nature and severity of the rainfall our community endured has left severe destruction in many of our neighborhoods. The coordinated and brave actions by first responders have made an immeasurable impact, but the effects of this weather still persist," Pureval said in a statement.
The mayor said the Cincinnati Fire Department and the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati are performing damage assessments throughout the city.
Pureval himself joined crews and helped residents clean up storm damage Tuesday in Oakley, where six feet of water drenched homes on at least one street.
"Water was actively being pumped from many homes, and the conversations I had with residents – many of whom were senior and legacy homeowners who have spent decades in this community — were stories of pure devastation," Pureval said in a statement. "Those stories exist around Cincinnati right now. Folks throughout our city are going through the unimaginable, trying to pick up the pieces."
Some residents said they believe a nearby Duck Creek floodgate could have reduced the damage — had it worked.
Pureval confirmed to WCPO 9 anchor Tanya O'Rourke Tuesday that the floodgate did not close during Friday's heavy rain.
"It's not clear right now whether, based on the way it was designed, it was supposed to come down or not, but either way, if it had come down, that may have had a positive impact on communities throughout the city, so that's why it's important for us to figure it out," Pureval said.
WATCH: Cincinnati mayor discusses possible solutions to flooding
Pureval said there is an investigation into what happened. He also said he will use funds from the sale of Cincinnati's railroad to address the issues.
"I think what is realistic is making targeted investments to shore up our infrastructure," Pureval said. "If the Duck Creek flooding system malfunctioned, then we're going to fix that immediately and continue to invest in critical areas of the system to make it as resilient as possible."
Pureval also said he is working to get residents help and is in talks with state and federal partners. The declaration of emergency also allows city governement to move quickly to pursue further support, Pureval said.
"We're in talks right now with the federal government, with the state, with our various partners. Just articulating how deep the need is and looking to partner with them on any funding moving forward," Pureval said.
Pureval said he does not yet know when he will hear from the state or federal government on any financial assistance.
The mayor has faced criticism for being out of town over the weekend. He said he was attending a conference in Los Angeles and said he was monitoring the situation.
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