CLEVELAND – As communities in Cuyahoga County continue to recover from Tuesday’s storms, local businesses and emergency services are working around the clock to restore normalcy.

Bill Pauley, owner of a bar in Parma Heights, has adapted to the difficult circumstances. His usual menu is unavailable, so he’s serving what he calls his “tornado menu.”

“We had a tornado. We had to shut down. We had no power,” Pauley said. “Every place needs a trick.”

While part of his restaurant has electricity—enough to keep the refrigerators running—his main grill is out of service.

Despite the setbacks, Pauley is making the best of it and cooking on outdoor grills instead.

Although Pauley’s business has taken a financial hit, he praised the efforts of energy companies that have worked tirelessly to restore power.

“Honestly, I think they’re doing a phenomenal job. I mean, you can only do what you can do,” he added.

Thousands of residents remain without power while public service response teams focus on the most affected communities.

The Office of Civil Protection has played a key role in coordinating ongoing reconstruction efforts and providing the necessary tools and manpower.

Kevin Friis, planning director at the Office of Emergency Management, said teams are well prepared for the challenges ahead.

He pointed out that temporary cell phone towers were being erected, energy suppliers were being supported, food distribution was being organized and debris was being cleared.

“I would like to say that we could move faster,” Friis admitted. “But recovering from a disaster is a time-consuming process.”

Despite the widespread power outages, no state of emergency has yet been declared, but officials believe this could be imminent.

“Given the costs of clearing the debris and restoring power, we are on the verge of a possible declaration of emergency,” Friis said.

The county would need to raise $5.9 million in relief costs to qualify for aid. “I think we can do that,” he added.

David Merriman, director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Human Services, reported a significant increase in requests for food assistance.

“The number of calls for food assistance has increased significantly and we appreciate the public’s patience in processing these calls,” Merriman said.

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is setting up locations to distribute food to those in need on weekends.

Despite the challenges, Pauley remains optimistic and expresses his gratitude for the community’s support.

“It’s incredible how the community comes together on something like this,” he said.