Flooding in Ohio, March 20, 2002

Name: Flooding in Ohio, March 20, 2002
Start: 2002-03-20T02:00
End: 2002-03-20T18:00
Location: Ohio

March 20, 2002 · NWS RLX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Rains of 4 to 5 inches fell on southern Lawrence County in a 30 hour period on the 19th until after dawn on the 20th. The heaviest rains fell in about a 6 hour period, before dawn on the 20th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: $750,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 4 to 5 inches fell on southern Lawrence County in a 30 hour period on the 19th until after dawn on the 20th. The heaviest rains fell in about a 6 hour period, before dawn on the 20th. The most rain appeared to have fallen along the Ohio River. The storm total at South Point was 4.8 inches. Automated gauges indicated 4.2 inches at Rankin Creek, with 4.0 inches at Kitts Hill and Procterville. Some of the flooded streams included Solida Creek, Charley Creek, Buffalo Creek, Symmes Creek, and Indian Guyan Creek. Urban and poor drainage flooding also occurred. Four people and 2 pets were rescued from the top of their vehicles on Charlie Creek Road in Lawrence County shortly after 0600E. Rain amounts diminished to the north. In northern Lawrence County, Waterloo had 2.9 inches of rain.Governor Taft declared a state of emergency in Lawrence County. According to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, four homes were destroyed. On the order of 26 homes sustained major damage in Lawrence County, while another 60 homes had minor damage. Four businesses along Solida Road near South Point sustained water damage. Rains of 1.5 to 2.5 inches affected Gallia and Meigs Counties. Damage was restricted to roads in Gallia and Meigs Counties.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 19, 2:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 2:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
230 PM EST TUE MAR 19 2002

FIRST WAVE MOVED THROUGH REGION THIS AFTERNOON WITH AMOUNTS
GENERALLY BETWEEN A QUARTER AND HALF INCH.  FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES
NORTHWARD IN RESPONSE TO WAVE PUSHING INTO SE KY.  AS A RESULT FOCUS
OF RAIN EARLY THIS EVE DRIFTS NORTHWARD FROM TODAYS AREA.  THE 2 OH
COUNTIES LEFT OUT OF FFA MAY EXPERIENCE SOME GOOD RAINS THIS EVE IN
RESPONSE BUT THE HEAVIEST RAIN PUSHES BACK SOUTHEAST WED MORNING...
HEAVIEST QPF OVER CENTRAL SECTIONS BY 09Z WED MORNING.  AXIS OF PWS
GREATER THAN 1.50 INCHES ACROSS MIDSECTION.  THE BEST SOUTHERLY LOW
LEVEL INFLOW AND MOISTURE IN CWA WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT AS
THE LOW LEVEL JET VEERS AND INCREASES TO 40-50 KNOTS. FRONTAL
BOUNDARY THEN SAGS SOUTHEAST ONCE AGAIN AND FINALLY IS PUSHED OUT BY
WED EVE. SMALL BREAK BEFORE COLD AIR ARRIVES THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

EXTENDED (THURS NITE THRU TUES)
MODELS CONSISTENT IN HAVING A DRY START TO THE PERIOD WITH COLD HIGH
PRESSURE IN PLACE.  EXCEPT FOR UPSLOPE REGIONS WHERE SNOW SHOWER
ACTIVITY SHOULD DEVELOP IN NORTHWEST FLOW. THE COLDEST NIGHT SHOULD
BE FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN SKIES SHOULD CLEAR AND WINDS BE LIGHT.

RETURN TO SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE SFC HIGH
SLIDES EAST.  SOME WARM ADVECTION CLOUDS SHOULD BEGIN TO INCREASE
LATE SAT.  HAVE MOVED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS FROM MONDAY TO SUNDAY AS
WARM FRONT SLIDES NORTH OF THE AREA.  ANY PRECIP SHOULD BE LIGHT.
WITH BEST INFLOW FROM THE GULF  SETTING UP ACROSS THE MISS
VALLEY...MONDAY SHOULD BE A MILD AND DRY DAY WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW.
AS UPPER TROF FINALLY BEGIN TO PULL EAST ON TUESDAY...EXPECT AN
INCREASED CHANCE OF SHOWERS AS GULF INFLOW TURNS SOUTHWEST TOWARD OH
VALLEY.  HEAVIEST PCPN SHOULD MOVE INTO GREAT LAKES WITH THIS EVENT.

.RLX...
WV...FFA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR WESTERN HALF...FFA
TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR EASTERN HALF
VA...FFA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY
KY...FFA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
OH...FFA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR ALL BUT PERRY AND MORGAN

.END/DB/ESS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Lawrence

When: March 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Property damage: $700,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.599, -82.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Gallia

When: March 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Gallia forecast zone
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.825, -82.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Meigs

When: March 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Meigs forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.082, -82.023 (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

Every storm in Ohio in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, March 2002

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: 5282944, 5282945, 5282946.