Alert archive / Ohio / River Flood Warnings in 2026

River Flood Warning 1, NWS Wilmington, OH

February 20, 2026Licking County, Ohio

NWS Wilmington, OH issued this river flood warning at Feb 20, 2026, 1:34 AM EST for Licking County, Ohio. It took effect at Feb 20, 2026, 2:24 AM EST. It was in force for 8 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Feb 20, 2026, 1:34 AM EST (06:34 UTC)
In effect from: Feb 20, 2026, 2:24 AM EST
Expired: Feb 20, 2026, 10:51 AM EST
In force: 8 hr
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, OH
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: Minor

County Licking County, OH

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 137 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:35 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The river

Written for the forecast point Raccoon Creek near Granville (GRNO1). The gauge peaked at 13.81 ft at Feb 20, 2026, 6:00 AM EST.

Action stage: 10 ft
Minor stage: 13 ft
Moderate stage: 16 ft
Major stage: 17 ft

This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests

Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 03145483, one reading an hour, from a day before the product to a day after it ended. Flood stages are today's.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this river flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before this river flood warning went out at Feb 20, 1:32 AM EST, 2 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

1) Potential for heavy rain this morning. Gusty winds occur today behind a strong cold front. 2) Snow potential for Sunday/Sunday night. Below normal temperatures late weekend into early next week. .

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 1:32 AM EST, 2 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
132 AM EST Fri Feb 20 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Expired tornado watch and added mention of heavy rain early this
morning. Bumped up wind gusts today. Bumped up snow potential with
light snow accumulations Sunday/Sunday night.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Potential for heavy rain this morning. Gusty winds occur today
behind a strong cold front.

2) Snow potential for Sunday/Sunday night. Below normal temperatures
late weekend into early next week. .

&&

.DISCUSSION...
1) Mid level and deep surface low over the Mid MS Valley to track ENE
thru the Great Lakes today. Anomalously high PWAT with values above
1 inch over the central and eastern counties. An axis of heavy rain
has fallen from Dayton to Columbus with a max of 3 inches plus across
portions of Greene, Madison and Fayette counties. Showers with
embedded thunder tracking across this area will decrease in coverage
and end with the passage of a strong cold front from west to east
between 3 AM and 6 AM.

In the wake of the strong front pressure gradient increases with
strong CAA. Looking at forecast soundings and momentum transfer
technique have bumped up wind gusts above NBM today. Expect wind gust
of 40-45 mph across the north and 35-40 mph across the south. This is
below wind advisory criteria - so will issue a SPS for this threat.

KEY MESSAGE 2) Energy digging southeast from the Northern Plains
will carve out a large trof over the Eastern Conus. As the short wave
energy moves thru the area expect snow showers to develop across the
area on Sunday. As strong CAA develops in the northerly flow
favorable flow for lake effect will develop off the Great Lakes.
Have trended the forecast toward WPC QPF and snow - with a total snow
for Sunday/Sunday night ranging from 2 inches or more over the
northeast to less than an inch southwest. Will mention this threat
in the HWO product.

Cold surface high pressure builds into the region Monday night and
Tuesday which will bring lighter winds and the lowest overnight low
temperatures. Expect highs on Monday generally in the lower 30s with
lows Monday night from the teens north to around 20s south.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Showers and thunderstorms will taper off from the west overnight as
a cold front moves through the region between 08Z and 11Z. Until
then, MVFR to locally IFR conditions will be possible with the
showers and storms with the best coverage across the northern
TAF sites. In addition, marginal LLWS will be possible overnight
hours.

Behind the front, winds will become westerly late tonight and
increase this morning. Gusts of 30 to 35 knots will be possible
during the daytime. Clouds will likely become MVFR for a period at
KDAY/KCMH and KLCK with an improvement to VFR late in the day.
VFR conditions expected tonight with west winds diminishing to around
10 kts.

OUTLOOK...MVFR ceilings and visibilities possible Sunday in snow
showers.

&&

.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...None.
KY...None.
IN...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...AR
AVIATION...AR

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 20, 12:12 AM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 19, 11:26 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
1126 PM EST Thu Feb 19 2026

OHZ054-062-063-200500-
Fayette OH-Madison OH-Greene OH-
1126 PM EST Thu Feb 19 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTHERN FAYETTE...
SOUTHEASTERN GREENE AND SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT
EST...

At 1126 PM EST, a strong thunderstorm was located near Jamestown,
moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 45 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Hail may cause minor damage to
         vegetation.

Locations impacted include...
Washington Court House, Jamestown, Mount Sterling, Jeffersonville,
Bloomingburg, New Holland, South Solon, Midway, Bowersville,
Milledgeville, Octa, Chenoweth, Rosemoor, Madison Mills, Gladstone,
Bookwalter and Shady Grove.

This includes I-71 in Ohio between mile markers 60 and 88.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a sturdy building.

To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3955 8327 3957 8377 3976 8375 3977 8362
      3977 8359 3978 8358 3981 8325 3978 8324
TIME...MOT...LOC 0426Z 255DEG 32KT 3964 8367

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...45 MPH

Hatzos

Special weather statement, Feb 19, 11:44 PM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 20, 12:50 AM EST, 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 20, 12:52 AM EST, 42 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 20, 12:53 AM EST, 41 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 20, 12:54 AM EST, 40 minutes before

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The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, OH issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 19, 8:08 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Preble	37 min
Feb 19, 8:12 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Butler	33 min
Feb 19, 9:08 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Greene	37 min
Feb 19, 9:11 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Clinton, Greene, Warren	34 min
Feb 19, 9:16 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Butler	29 min
Feb 19, 9:40 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Montgomery, Warren	35 min
Feb 19, 9:46 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Greene	44 min
Feb 19, 9:49 PM EST	Tornado Warning	ILN	Greene, Montgomery, Warren	26 min
Feb 19, 9:53 PM EST	Tornado Warning	ILN	Greene	13 min
Feb 19, 10:01 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	ILN	Clark, Clinton, Greene, Madison, Warren	3 hr
Feb 19, 10:07 PM EST	Areal Flood Advisory	ILN	Butler, Clark, Greene, Montgomery, Preble, Warren	11 hr
Feb 19, 10:09 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Clinton, Greene	23 min
Feb 19, 10:11 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Franklin	34 min
Feb 19, 10:20 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	ILN	Fayette, Madison	3 hr
Feb 19, 10:25 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Madison	35 min
Feb 19, 10:38 PM EST	Areal Flood Advisory	ILN	Franklin, Pickaway	11 hr
Feb 19, 10:50 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Warren	25 min
Feb 19, 10:51 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Licking	24 min
Feb 19, 10:52 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	ILN	Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Madison, Montgomery and 1 more	2 hr
Feb 19, 10:55 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Licking	35 min
Feb 19, 11:11 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Greene	34 min
Feb 19, 11:23 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Licking	37 min
Feb 19, 11:26 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Fayette	34 min
Feb 19, 11:37 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	ILN	Fairfield, Franklin, Madison, Pickaway	2 hr
Feb 19, 11:44 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Fairfield	31 min
Feb 20, 12:30 AM EST	Areal Flood Advisory	ILN	Fairfield, Franklin, Licking	9 hr
Feb 20, 1:15 AM EST	Areal Flood Warning	ILN	Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Madison, Montgomery and 1 more	8 hr
Feb 20, 3:35 AM EST	River Flood Warning	ILN	Greene, Warren	33 hr
Feb 20, 4:45 AM EST	Wind Advisory	ILN	Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Delaware, Hardin, Logan and 4 more	13 hr
Feb 20, 7:09 AM EST	River Flood Warning	ILN	Fairfield, Licking	14 hr
Feb 19, 8:16 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Wayne	25 min
Feb 19, 8:43 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Franklin	32 min
Feb 19, 9:14 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Franklin	31 min
Feb 19, 9:39 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	ILN	Franklin	36 min

Nearby

River Flood Warnings in Ohio, 2026 Every river flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive; the gauge from the NWS water service and the USGS.