17 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 18, 9:00 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1000 AM EDT FRI MAY 18 2001
KILN SOUNDING THIS MORNING STILL INDICATES THAT A VERY MOIST AIRMASS
IS IN PLACE ACRS THE REGION. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WERE
MEASURED AROUND 1.70 INCHES. THIS VERY MOIST AIRMASS WILL SET THE
STAGE FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD/FLASH FLOODING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.
LATEST VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWED PARTIAL CLEARING OVER SE INDIANA/SW
OHIO. UNLIKE YESTERDAY...SOME ADDITIONAL HEATING IN THE PARTIAL
CLEARING AREA WOULD ALLOW FOR SFC BASED CONVECTION VERSUS ELEVATED.
REGARDLESS...SB CAPES/ELEVATED CAPES WILL RANGE BETWEEN 1000 TO 1500
J/KG...PLENTY OF INSTABILITY FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SFC MAP
DEPICTED A FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM SRN ONTARIO ...SOUTHWEST INTO NW
OHIO AND THEN ACRS CENTRAL INDIANA. THIS BOUNDARY WILL BECOME THE
FOCUS FOR WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTN/TONIGHT AS A
MID LVL S/WV NEAR MO/IL BORDER ENHANCES A SFC LOW ALONG THE BOUNDARY
INTO SRN OHIO. STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF AT LEAST 2 INCHES PER HOUR. WITH FFG VALUES ALONG AND NORTH OF
THE OHIO RIVER BETWEEN 0.8 AND 1.2 INCHES...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS
WARRANTED. ALTHOUGH FF GUIDANCE SOUTH OF THE OHIO IS HIGHER.
..RAINFALL RATES AS MENTIONED ABOVE IS STILL A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
THERE.
MAY TWEAK TEMPS DOWN ACRS THE NORTH WHERE SUNSHINE MAY NOT
MATERIALIZE.
.ILN...IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY AND TONIGHT INZ050-058>059-066-
073>075-080.
KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY AND TONIGHT KYZ089>100.
OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY AND TONIGHT OHZ026-034>035-
q 042>046-051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088.
HICKMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON, OH
830 AM EDT FRI MAY 18 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0730 AM BELLCENTER OH FLOOD
05/16/01 LOGAN 2 ROADS CLOSED
...CORRECTED DATE
CENTERINZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ042-045-046-051>056- 060>065-070>074-077>082-088-182200- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 1100 AM EDT FRI MAY 18 2001 A COLD FRONT SITUATED FROM SOUTHERN ONTARIO...SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHWEST OHIO...THEN INTO CENTRAL INDIANA WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. WITH A MARGINALLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IS INDICATING THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF DAYTON...COLUMBUS AND CINCINNATI. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FLOODING. HOWEVER...ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. HICKMAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON, OH
1200 PM EDT FRI MAY 18 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....|
1130 AM PORTSMOUTH OH FLASH FLOODS
05/18/01 SCIOTO MOST CITY STREETS ARE
FLOODED.
SAMThe Cincinnati radar (KILN), 4 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:03 UTC.
17 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees downed in the ? country club. Three-quarter inch diameter hail also fell in Sabina.
Several hours of heavy rainfall caused flooded streets.
Heavy rain from thunderstorms flooded roads across the county, especially in the northeastern part. Standing water was reported on portions of the first floor of Sabina Elementary School.
Heavy rainfall for most of the afternoon hours caused widespread flooding across the county. Thirty six roads were closed across the county. Several culverts were washed away across the county. Three people were rescued from high water on Buckskin Creek.
Torrential rainfall caused roads to flood in Mason.
Trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds.
Several roads and a bridge were washed out.
Numerous roads were closed across the county due to heavy rainfall. A bridge was washed out 3 miles southwest of Jamestown.
A bridge was washed out in Perry Township. Three homes were evacuated due to high water in this area.
Water flooded across roads in Miami Township.
Heavy rain flooded roads across the county.
Several roads were flooded due to heavy rain.
Roads and underpasses were flooded due to heavy rain.
Heavy rainfall caused flooded roads across the county.
Numerous roads were flooded due to heavy rain.
Many roads were flooded and some were closed due to heavy rainfall.
Numerous trees and power lines downed.
Heavy rain caused roads to flood across the county.
Several roads were flooded due to heavy rain. Officials closed some of them due to the high water.
Several roads were closed due to the heavy rainfall and some people were trapped in their vehicles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2001
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: 5249067, 5249071, 5249070, 5249072, 5249133, 5249068, 5249135, 5249132, 5249134, 5249137, 5249138, 5249141, 5249140, 5249136, 5249142, 5249145, 5249069, 5249139, 5249143, 5249144.