Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, August 20 to 24, 2007

Heavy rain fell across the area during the early morning hours of the 20th. Flash flooding conditions were reported during the morning hours as creeks quickly overflowed their banks and underpasses filled with three feet of water making those roads impassable. By the midday hours, flooding was reported in Bettsville and Old Fort with many roads closed including State Route 17 in Bettsville, and State Route 18 between Republic and Bellevue. During the afternoon hours, widespread flooding was reported with roads closed countywide, and evacuations were taking place in Bettsville. Flooding conditions continued through the overnight and morning hours of the 21st, but water began to recede across the area during the afternoon hours. However, runoff eventually brought the Sandusky River in Tiffin into flood. See the accompanying write up for additional information on the flooding of the Sandusky River.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Rainfall reports indicate that between 2.0 and 4.0 inches of rain fell during the morning hours, and rainfall rates during this time approached 2.0 inches per hour in Gibsonburg. By late morning, an underpass was closed in Bellevue. The rain tapered off during the afternoon hours of the 20th, but runoff from the heavy rain continued. The heavy runoff quickly swamped streams and rivers across the area. As a result, water gradually backed up causing flooding conditions across the county. Many roads became flooded, and remained that way through the overnight hours into the 21st. The water slowly receded through the day on the 21st.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Flash flooding quickly developed causing roads and highways to become flooded and closed. As many as thirty roads were closed throughout southern portions of the county. The hardest hit areas were Spencer and Westfield Townships. Granger Township, north of Wadsworth, was also hit hard with flash flooding with roads closed there. Rainfall reports from that morning include 3.87 inches of rain in Seville between 9 am and 10 am. In the City of Medina, between 4 am and 4 pm, 2.79 inches of rain fell.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Flash flooding conditions quickly developed during the mid morning hours as many roads between Hartville and Alliance were closed. A spotter in Hartville reported 3.05 inches of rain between 9:30 am and 11:00 am, with 2.0 inches falling just between 9:30 am and 10:30 am.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning of the 20th and caused flash flooding across primarily northeast portions of the county. Some homes had water flowing into the basements, and a strip mall in the area was also flooded. Enough homes in the area were flooded out that a shelter was opened in Rittman for the flood victims. Rainfall amounts varied significantly across the northern half of Wayne County for this event. While the Wayne County Airport picked up only 0.86 inches between 4 pm Sunday and 4 pm Monday, rainfall reports just north of Rittman into southern Medina County indicate that between 2.0 and 4.0 inches of rain fell there during that same time period.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning of the 20th causing flash flooding conditions. Areas most impacted were from Norton east to Barberton, and from Fairlawn south to Clinton. Reports indicated there were many roads closed throughout western portions of Summit County. In Fairlawn, trained spotters reported flood waters affecting several homes. In Norton, an elementary school was threatened by flash flooding. Teachers sand bagged doors to prevent water from getting into the school. Rainfall reports from that day indicate that between 1.5 and 4.0 inches of rain fell across the area. However, a few reports from the Portage Lakes area indicate that as much as 4.0 inches of rain fell across the area over the 24 hour period ending around 4pm on the 20th. Further investigation of rainfall reports shows that one reporting station in Portage Lakes measured 1.5 inches of rain between 9:30 am and 10:00 am that morning alone.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Flash flooding conditions quickly developed during the mid morning hours with basements flooding, and roads becoming flooding causing cars to become stranded. A commercial building was flooded because the water got so high in the street that passing vehicles created waves. These waves hit up against the front of the building and eventually water got inside the building. During the afternoon a vehicle rescue was performed on someone trapped in floodwaters. By the afternoon, a rainfall report from Beloit measured 2.81 inches of rain since 4:00 am. Since the afternoon of the 19th, a total of 3.09 inches of rain fell there.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Water was able to quickly drain into area streams and rivers, but by the midday hours, water began overwhelming creeks and streams. By the early afternoon hours, water was reported across roads in Pemberville. As the afternoon and evening progressed, reports were received of roads closed throughout the county. High water continued through the overnight across the county as reports from the morning of the 21st indicated that many roads were still flooded and closed. Water receded across the area through much of the day on the 21st.

Heavy rain fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th. Rainfall reports indicate that between 2.0 and 3.0 inches of rain fell that morning across the area. The heavy rain was able to quickly make its way to local streams and rivers, but those eventually filled up through the morning hours, and excess runoff began ponding in low lying locations and roads throughout the county. By midday of the 20th, roads northeast of Bellevue to Huron gradually flooded. Flooding continued through the overnight hours into the 21st. By the morning, water eventually flooded out the Franklin Flats area. Floodwaters receded throughout the county during the midday and afternoon hours of the 21st.

Heavy rain that fell across the area during the morning hours of the 20th quickly filled streams and rivers across the area. At 9 am on the 20th, the Huron River at Milan was 7.74 feet. As the morning progressed, the river rose between two and three feet per hour until it rose above the flood stage of 18 feet during the afternoon. The river continued to rise through the evening hours, and crested at 22.7 feet at around 10:45 pm. Through the overnight hours into the 21st, the river gradually fell, but did not drop below flood stage until the late morning hours of the 21st.

Several rounds of heavy rain fell across the area beginning during the morning hours of the 20th. At 8:00 am on the 20th, the river stage at Woodville was 2.87 feet. The river quickly reacted to the heavy rain across the area and rose between 1 and 3 feet per hour during the afternoon of the 20th. The river exceeded flood stage of 9.0 feet during the evening hours of the 20th. The river remained in flood through the 21st, and crested at around 11.6 feet at around 11:00 pm on the 21st. Despite the rain tapering off in northwest portions of Sandusky County, another round of heavy rain moved through southern Wood and Hancock Counties during the overnight hours and into the morning of the 21st. This second round of heavy rain impacted the upstream runoff basins that drain into the Portage River. Additionally, another short period of heavy rain fell during the morning hours of the 22nd. The significant amount of runoff draining into the Portage River well upstream kept the river in flood for several days. It did not fall below flood stage until nearly three and a half days later, during the early morning hours of the 24th.