Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, May 17, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, May 17, 2001
Start: 2001-05-17T11:15
End: 2001-05-17T22:15
Location: Ohio

May 17, 2001 · NWS ILN · 12 events in 9 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $73,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at May 17, 9:50 AM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 9:50 AM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1050 AM EDT THU MAY 17 2001

LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ESE ACROSS IN. THESE STORMS
WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT ILN FA BY NOON. THE IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS FOR
POTENTIAL FLOODING IN THOSE AREAS WHICH HAVE RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. WILL MONITOR THIS CONVECTION FOR
POSSIBLE FLOOD WATCH ACROSS ERN PORTION OF FA. OTHERWISE WILL MAKE A
FEW MINOR ADJUSTMENTS FOR POPS AND TEMPS.

MISILN OUT SOON.

.ILN...NONE.

DISTEFANO

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 9:35 AM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-
051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-171900-

SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOOD OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1035 AM EDT THU MAY 17 2001

...HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

A STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY
TODAY.  MORNING SUNSHINE HAS LEAD TO A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS ACROSS
PORTIONS OF OHIO...INDIANA AND KENTUCKY.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE INTO EAST-CENTRAL INDIANA AND WEST-CENTRAL OHIO BY EARLY
AFTERNOON AND THEN SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD INTO SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-
CENTRAL OHIO...AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

DUE TO THE VERY WET CONDITIONS ACROSS PARTS OF WEST-CENTRAL
AND CENTRAL OHIO...THESE STORMS COULD LEAD TO FLOODING IF THE HEAVY
RAIN FALLS ACROSS THE SAME AREAS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAIN ON
WEDNESDAY.

ALSO...A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER TODAY IF THE SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT BECOMES WIDESPREAD.

JTD

Local storm report, May 17, 11:03 AM EST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON, OH
1203 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1051 AM    2 NW RICHMOND             IN   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   WAYNE

Local storm report, May 17, 11:03 AM EST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON, OH
1203 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1151 AM    2 NW RICHMOND             IN   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   WAYNE

Local storm report, May 17, 11:06 AM EST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON, OH
1206 PM EDT THU MAY 17 2001

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1153 AM    RICHMOND                  IN   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01   WAYNE                          TREES DOWN

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Preble

When: May 17, 11:15 AM EST to 11:20 AM EST
Where: Preble County, West Sonora
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.883, -84.533

Numerous trees knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When: May 17, 11:45 AM EST to 11:50 AM EST
Where: Montgomery County, Brookville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.833, -84.417

Several trees knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Miami

When: May 17, 12:05 PM EST to 12:08 PM EST
Where: Miami County, 2 mi SW of Troy
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.033, -84.233

Two permanent signs blown down.

Hail, Logan

When: May 17, 12:30 PM EST to 12:35 PM EST
Where: Logan County, De Graff
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.317, -83.917

Hail, Clermont

When: May 17, 12:59 PM EST to 1:02 PM EST
Where: Clermont County, Milford
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.167, -84.283

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: May 17, 1:50 PM EST to 2:10 PM EST
Where: Franklin County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.967, -83.033

Trees and power lines knocked down in several locations across the county.

Flash Flood, Franklin

When: May 17, 1:50 PM EST to 3:45 PM EST
Where: Franklin County, Hilliard
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.970, -83.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall caused flooded underpasses around Hilliard.

Flash Flood, Ross

When: May 17, 2:18 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
Where: Ross County, Frankfort
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.338, -83.057 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall flooded U.S. 35 around Frankfort.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fairfield

When: May 17, 2:30 PM EST to 2:45 PM EST
Where: Fairfield County, Lancaster
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.717, -82.600

Several trees knocked down.

Flash Flood, Fairfield

When: May 17, 2:35 PM EST to 4:15 PM EST
Where: Fairfield County, Lancaster
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.752, -82.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall caused several roads to be flooded including State Route 33.

Flash Flood, Logan

When: May 17, 6:30 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where: Logan County, Belle Center
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.388, -83.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roads were closed across the county due to heavy rainfall.

Flash Flood, Scioto

When: May 17, 9:45 PM EST to 10:15 PM EST
Where: Scioto County, South Webster
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.804, -82.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several people were evacuated due to high water.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, May 2001

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: 5249055, 5249057, 5249056, 5249061, 5249058, 5249059, 5249063, 5249062, 5249060, 5249064, 5249066, 5249065.