Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, February 18 to 21, 2000

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, February 18 to 21, 2000
Start: 2000-02-18T16:00
End: 2000-02-21T15:00
Location: Ohio

February 18 to 21, 2000 · NWS RLX · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

Rains of 2 to 4 inches fell in about an 18 hour period. A strong frontal zone was in the vicinity, as low pressure moved up the Ohio Valley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $2.2 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 RLX wrote it up.

Rains of 2 to 4 inches fell in about an 18 hour period. A strong frontal zone was in the vicinity, as low pressure moved up the Ohio Valley. Southerly winds pulled low level moisture north from Tennessee and Kentucky . Surface dew points were in the 55 to 60 degree range south of the frontal boundary. Carpenter of western Meigs County had 4.1 inches, Gallipolis meausred 3.7 inches, Jackson 3.45 inches, Patriot, Salem Center, and Willow wood all had around 3.3 inches, while McArthur had 3.2 inches. A spotter network in Meigs County revealed 3.9 inches at Racine and 3.6 inches at Syracuse.Preliminary damage accessment figures from emergency management officials had 3 homes in Meigs County and 2 homes inLawrence County sustaining major damage. Minor damage to homes was reported in Athens, Gallia, Meigs, and Washington Counties. In Gallia County, about a dozen homes sustained minor damage. Racoon Creek flooded and closed roads.Minor river flooding occurred after the flash flooding on the small streams. The Hocking River in Athens County crested just over its 20 foot flood stage at 20.49 feet around 0600E on the 20th. The Ohio River caused the usual backwater flooding from below Belleville Lock and Dam to the Ironton vicinity. The crest at Pomeroy was a half of a foot over the 46 foot flood stage around 0500E on the 21st. This was not high enough to affect the businesses in town. In Meigs County, a 51 year old man drowned in the flooded backwaters of the Ohio River near the mouth of Leading Creek. The area is known as Shady Cove near Hudson. A father and his son were in a small boat, ferrying across a flooded area. The boat hit a submerged object around 1430E on the 20th. The father fell out of the boat. He was not wearing a life jacket. His body was recovered that evening by the fire department.

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 flash flood, 4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Athens

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Athens County, Countywide
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.334, -82.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Jackson

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Jackson County, Countywide
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.020, -82.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lawrence

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Lawrence County, Countywide
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.599, -82.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Meigs

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Meigs County, Countywide
Property damage: $700,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.082, -82.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Washington

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 12:30 AM EST
Where: Washington County, Countywide
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.455, -81.495 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Gallia

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Gallia County, Countywide
Property damage: $600,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.825, -82.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Vinton

When: February 18, 4:00 PM EST to February 19, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Vinton County, Countywide
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.251, -82.485 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Athens

When: February 19, 11:00 AM EST to February 20, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Athens forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.334, -82.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Gallia

When: February 19, 12:00 PM EST to February 21, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Gallia forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.825, -82.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lawrence

When: February 19, 12:00 PM EST to February 21, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.599, -82.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Meigs

When: February 19, 12:00 PM EST to February 21, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Meigs forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.082, -82.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flood, Meigs	2000-02-20	51	Male	Boat	Direct

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
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

Every storm in Ohio in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, February 2000

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5129577, 5129578, 5129579, 5129580, 5129581, 5129582, 5129583, 5129587, 5129584, 5129585, 5129586.