More rain means more flooding in southern Ohio
Southern Ohio is bracing for weekend flooding as continued rain drives rivers and streams over their banks and onto roadways and low-lying areas.
More than 50 state routes were either closed or had restricted access because of flooding, said Matt Bruning, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT expected more roads, particularly in areas near the southeastern and southern borders, to be affected in the coming days.
“I think the levels that we’re seeing certainly along the Ohio River are significantly worse than we have seen the last couple of years,” Bruning said. “From what I’m seeing, it does seem to be more severe this year.”
It’s been a wet month for Central Ohio, too — the 3.5-plus inches of precipitation measured at John Glenn Columbus International Airport as of midday Friday was nearly double the amount the area usually experiences in February, said Kristen Cassady, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office.
“The soils are very, very moist, and they’re very saturated,” she said. “As we continue to get these repeated rounds of rain, a lot of the water is going to run off very, very quickly.”
Rain and possible thunderstorms are expected to continue through Sunday morning, with damaging winds and possible flash flooding Saturday night as a cold front sweeps through the region.
Areas of the state from Columbus to the south of Interstate 70 are under a flood watch into Sunday morning, with Cincinnati and Dayton forecast to get more than 2.25 inches of rain through 2 p.m. Sunday. Columbus and points south and southeast, including Portsmouth and Athens, are expected to get just under 2 inches during this time.
Ohio University at Athens announced Friday that it was canceling classes Monday in anticipation of potential flooding and severe weather. Classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, but the university urged students and employees to check ohio.edu/ alert for updates.
The Ohio River at Cincinnati was already 5 feet above the 52-foot flood stage as of Friday morning, with more rain on the way. Cassady said the river likely would top 59.5 feet, with a projected crest Tuesday.
If that occurs, it would be the highest water levels since the deadly March 1997 flood, when the river crested at 64.7 feet and more than two dozen people were killed — mostly in northern Kentucky and some in southeast Ohio.
About 40 Ohio National Guard members from the 1191st Engineering Company were activated earlier this week to help erect floodgates of steal beams, wood planks and plastic sheeting with hundreds of sandbags at the base along the Ohio River in Portsmouth. The Guard will also work with the city and Scioto County emergency management on flood prevention efforts.
The last time the walls were needed was in the 1997 flooding, when the river crested at 59.8 feet, causing $25 million damage in Scioto County.
Closer to home, the Scioto River in Circleville hit its flood stage before noon Friday. Pickaway County Engineer Chris Mullins anticipated road closings over the weekend, likely Canal and Mill roads near the Scioto, among others.
Motorists are warned to obey road-closed signs that may be put up quickly because of flash flooding.
“If the road is closed, don’t drive around the barricades,” Bruning said.