‘People feel vulnerable;’ Looting concerns rise as clean-up after devastating tornadoes continues

On March 14, at least 5 tornadoes touched down in the Miami Valley devastating communities throughout seven counties.

>>RELATED: At least 5 tornadoes confirmed in Miami Valley, NWS says

The storms destroyed garages, ripped roofs off buildings, and tore homes apart.

The tornadic winds scattered people’s belongings across yards and left property that was once secure in buildings, exposed for anyone to see.

Several homeowners in Miami County told News Center 7′s John Bedell that they’re worried about the chance for looters since many people aren’t living in their homes due to the storm damage.

Miami County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Steve Lord explained what the department is doing to keep its community’s belongings safe.

>>RELATED: ‘It just fell out of the sky;’ Impactful tornadoes scatter debris across state lines

“Well, we’ve definitely stepped up patrols in the area. We would encourage people to report any suspicious activity. We’re quite aware that people feel vulnerable when their properties are exposed. And a lot of the things that, typically you can do to make your home safe, because of the storm damage, you know, fences, lighting, stuff like that, it’s not available now,” Lord said.

News Center 7′s John Bedell checked in with other sheriff’s offices about this issue, because this was the second round of tornadoes the Miami Valley has experienced in the last three weeks.

One of the tornadoes hit Clark County on February 28.

>>RELATED: Over 100 homes damaged by EF2 tornado in Clark County

News Center 7 went to Clark County after the storms passed and noticed multiple marked cruisers driving around the damage.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said they had deputies in marked cruisers and detectives in unmarked cars assigned to the area of the storm path for preventative patrols.