Ohio, 2002Flash Flood and Flooding in Ohio, May 28, 2002
May 28, 2002 · NWS ILN · 5 events in 5 counties and zones
4 flood, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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 28, 1:45 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 28, 1:45 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
245 AM EDT TUE MAY 28 2002
06Z SFC ANALYSIS DEPICTED A WEAKENING STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS
CNTRL OHIO...CNTRL INDIANA INTO CNTRL IL.
THE WEAKENING STATIONARY BOUNDARY IS FCST TO LIFT SLOWLY NORTHWARD
TODAY. THIS BOUNDARY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE ONGOING
CONVECTION ATTM ACRS NE AND E CNTRL OHIO AND ALSO ACRS PARTS OF
INDIANA. THE AIRMASS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE.
ETA/AVN/RUC INDICATE THAT THERE IS A S/WV PIVOTING SLOWLY ACRS
WISC/ERN IL ATTM. IT WILL BE THIS S/WV (ASSOCD PVA/DPVA) AND FCST
UPR DIV (BY A DEVELOPING MINI 300 MB JET) THAT WILL PROVIDE THE
NECESSARY LIFT FOR CHC/SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACRS THE
ENTIRE CWFA TODAY. WILL TAILOR POPS FROM 50 NORTH TO 40 SOUTH. AM
CONCERNED THAT POPS MAY BECOME LIKELY ACRS THE NRN THREE ZONES FOR
TODAY (WAP/DAY/CMH). WILL WATCH THE RADAR THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE NIGHT INTO THE DAYLIGHT HOURS TO SEE HOW CONVECTION ACRS IL/IN
IS PROGRESSING. WITH STORM MOTION/S EXPECTED TO BE FROM THE SW TO
THE NE AND ONLY AROUND 10 MPH...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. WILL MENTION THIS IN THE ZONES. AFOREMENTIONED
S/WV SHOULD EVENTUALLY PIVOT EAST OF THE REGION TONIGHT. SOME
SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER ACRS THE REGION THROUGH THE
EVENING TO AROUND MIDNIGHT.
WARM...MOIST...AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL ALLOW FOR ANOTHER CHC OF
THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. RIGHT NOW...A 40 POP LOOKS GOOD.
ANOTHER BETTER CHC FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ON
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS A COLD FRONT APCHES THE OHIO VLY FROM THE NW.
TEMPS WILL BE TRICKY TODAY DEPENDING ON WHO GETS AMPLE RAINFALL AND
WHO DOESN/T. SAFE BET ATTM WOULD BE TO UNDERCUT MOS GUIDANCE VALUES
SLIGHTLY. WILL GO WITH MOS VALUES ON WED AS THESE LOOK REASONABLE.
.ILN...NONE.
HICKMAN
Flood, Licking
- When
- May 28, 6:30 AM EST to 6:40 AM EST
- Where
- Licking forecast zone
- Reported by
- DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
- Coordinates
- 40.092, -82.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Isolated, slow moving thunderstorms produced two to four inches in some locations across central and southwest Ohio. There were several reports of high water on roadways and basement flooding in the Cincinnati and Columbus metro areas. In Whitehall in Franklin County, several people had to be rescued when their cars became trapped in two to three feet of water.
Flood, Franklin
- When
- May 28, 11:00 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 39.970, -83.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Isolated, slow moving thunderstorms produced two to four inches in some locations across central and southwest Ohio. There were several reports of high water on roadways and basement flooding in the Cincinnati and Columbus metro areas. In Whitehall in Franklin County, several people had to be rescued when their cars became trapped in two to three feet of water.
Flood, Clermont
- When
- May 28, 1:15 PM EST to 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clermont forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 39.047, -84.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Isolated, slow moving thunderstorms produced two to four inches in some locations across central and southwest Ohio. There were several reports of high water on roadways and basement flooding in the Cincinnati and Columbus metro areas. In Whitehall in Franklin County, several people had to be rescued when their cars became trapped in two to three feet of water.
Flood, Hamilton
- When
- May 28, 1:45 PM EST to 2:10 PM EST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Isolated, slow moving thunderstorms produced two to four inches in some locations across central and southwest Ohio. There were several reports of high water on roadways and basement flooding in the Cincinnati and Columbus metro areas. In Whitehall in Franklin County, several people had to be rescued when their cars became trapped in two to three feet of water.
Flash Flood, Scioto
- When
- May 28, 2:59 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Scioto County, 2 mi E of Otway
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.804, -82.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Two feet of water covered State Route 73.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
- 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.
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 28, 20021 injured · $5.0 million · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Minnesota, May 28, 2002$150,000 · F0 · 11 events
- Hail in Texas, May 28, 2002$125,000 · 1.75 in hail · 3 events
- Flash Flood in New York, May 28, 2002$100,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 28, 2002$100,000 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 28, 2002$54,000 · 1.75 in hail · 6 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, May 28, 2002$50,000 · 1.75 in hail · 2 events
- Flash Flood in New York, May 28, 2002$50,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 28, 2002$50,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 28, 2002$50,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, May 28, 20022 injured · 1 event
- Flash Flood in New York, May 28, 2002$20,000 · 1 event
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: 5299311, 5299312, 5299313, 5299314, 5299310.