The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
DANGEROUS SPLASH
Flash flooding due to thunderstorms thwarts Labor Day celebrations across northern Ohio
The traditional end of summer holiday was wet and wild as heavy rain prompted flash floods across Northeast Ohio.
A flash flood warning was issued for Lorain County at 11:39 a.m. and then extended to 6 p.m.
According to the National Weather Service, the area experienced between 2.5 to 5 inches of rainfall as of 2 p.m. with roadways shut down due to high water. The slow-moving system moving east across the region created havoc in parts of Cleveland.
In the city of Lorain standing water was seen on Colorado Avenue, East 28th Street and Elyria Avenue giving motorists a challenge of hydroplaning and driving over pavement that may have washed away or buckled.
In Columbia Station there were reports of flooding on Snell Road and Redfern Road. First responders were called to the area of Snell and State Route 252 for a vehicle stuck in high water in the roadway, according to police radio traffic.
Access to both roads is limited due to flooding.
According to Ohio Edison, as of 3 p.m. Sept. 7, there were 68 power outages in Lorain County out of more than 1,800 outages across the region. The bulk of Lorain County outages were in Vermilion with 39 customer locations.
In a flash flooding warning issued by the National
Weather Service in Cleveland, motorists were warned not to drive over flooded roadways.
Not only can the unseen pavement buckle or wash away underneath, but high water could carry a vehicle downstream, the alert warned motorists.
Most drowning deaths in floods happen to people in vehicles, according to the alert.
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Cleveland proved a troubled area with stalled vehicles, according to Cleveland Police.
Labor Day, the annual end of summer holiday celebrates the American labor movement and the contributions of American workers. The novel coronavirus canceled many traditional celebrations across northeast Ohio.