Ohio, 1996

Flooding in Ohio, January 17 to 23, 1996

January 17 to 23, 1996 · NWS ILN · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

The combination of significant prior snow cover, warm temperatures, and rainfall produced widespread tributary flooding in the Ohio river basin. Some ice jam flooding also occurred in the northern Scioto basin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$187,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILN wrote it up.

The combination of significant prior snow cover, warm temperatures, and rainfall produced widespread tributary flooding in the Ohio river basin. Some ice jam flooding also occurred in the northern Scioto basin. Snow water equivalents of nearly 4 inches in portions of the Maumee and St. Mary's basins kept the St. Mary's river out of its banks through the 19th and 20th. Several rescues were made early on the 20th along the St. Mary's when at least 3 feet of flowing water was on a nearby road on the Mercer-Van Wert county line.Most of the tributaries were back within their banks by the 21st, but points along the Ohio river were now in flood. Some of the tributaries which experienced significant flooding were the Scioto, Great Miami and Blanchard rivers, as well as Ohio Brush Creek.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Van Wert

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Van Wert forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
40.855, -84.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mercer

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
40.540, -84.629 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Auglaize

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Auglaize forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
40.561, -84.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Delaware

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
40.278, -83.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Franklin

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.970, -83.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Montgomery

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.755, -84.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pickaway

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Pickaway forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.642, -83.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Butler

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.439, -84.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Ross

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Ross forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.338, -83.057 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hamilton

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Clermont

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Clermont forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
39.047, -84.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Brown

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.934, -83.867 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Highland

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Highland forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.185, -83.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Adams

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
38.846, -83.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pike

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.077, -83.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Scioto

When
January 17, 12:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Scioto forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
38.804, -82.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Ohio in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5569584, 5569585, 5569586, 5569587, 5569588, 5569589, 5569590, 5569591, 5569592, 5569593, 5569594, 5569595, 5569758, 5569759, 5569760, 5569761.