https://www.cincinnati.com/story/ne...rs-remake-maze-monday-morning-comm/371442002/
Cincinnati flooding: Ohio River crested at 60.53 feet Sunday night
Carrie Blackmore Smith, Alexander Coolidge,Anne Saker,Kate Murphy,Monroe Trombly and Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 8:53 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2018 | Updated 7:19 a.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018
Play
0:15
0:24
Fullscreen
Sponsor Message
Drone footage shows Cincinnati and Aurora under water. This is the first time the river rose above the 60-foot mark in two decades. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran & Michael McCarter
1 of 10
Two to three inches of rain dumped Saturday night and Sunday morning to the already soggy Cincinnati area.This is the first time the river rose above the 60 feet mark for in two decades. Cara Owsley/The Enquirer Cara Owsley/The Enquirer
2 of 10
A look at the Ohio River from a plane on approach to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Saturday afternoon. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran
3 of 10
Cincinnati has had 105 floods since records started to be kept in 1858. Three of 10 have occurred in March, an Enquirer analysis of National Weather Service records shows. NWS forecasters also are projecting we have up to a 10 percent chance of a 'moderate' flood for the week of March 6. Wochit
4 of 10
Aerial footage of Tristate flooding on Tuesday Feb. 20, 2018. The floods affected businesses and communities alongside the river. The Enquirer/Phil Didion
5 of 10
Here's a look at the numbers that explain the 2018 flood of the Ohio River. The Enqurer/Mike Nyerges
6 of 10
The Ohio River is forecast to crest at 55.5 feet in Cincinnati, just over the line between "minor" and "moderate" flooding. How often does such flooding occur and what does it look like in and near the city? Wochit
7 of 10
An amended forecast released Tuesday predicted the river will crest Tuesday night at 55.5 feet, about six inches lower than earlier forecasts. Luann Gibbs/Wochit
8 of 10
Forecasters are predicting the Ohio River will reach the moderate flood stage in a new warning issued Monday morning. Amanda Rossmann
9 of 10
After unprecedented precipitation, the Ohio River in Cincinnati rose to its all-time high on Jan. 26, 1937. It was a natural disaster than spanned the entire length of the 981-mile-long river. Michael Nyerges
10 of 10
Next Video
After a nearly a week of rain and flooding, the worst may be over.
The Ohio River crested at 60.53 feet and is on its way back down, according to National Weather Center forecasts.
That ranks 22nd in terms of historic flood crests, just below the 60.60 feet the river reached in March 1936.
It is highest the river has reached since 1997.
"Although it will likely remain in flood through this week, the current forecast indicates a persistent downward trend in the coming days," the organization said on Twitter.
The weather service is projecting that the Ohio River will fall below 56 feet - classified as "minor flooding" on Friday.
It's been a wet month. As of noon Sunday, 7.79 inches of precipitation has been measured at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International airport.
The National Weather Service said this month is the third wettest February on record.
FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedIn
Photos: Flooding worsens across region after record rainfall
Fullscreen
The sun sets behind a flooded Schmidt Park, as seen from the East End neighborhood of Cincinnati on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. Sam Greene/The Enquirer
And, as if to add insult to injury, two tornadoes touched down this weekend, one near the Clermont County village of Felicity and another near the village of Hamersville in Brown County overnight Saturday. The Clermont County tornado was rated an EF 1, while the Brown County iteration had not yet been rated by the weather service.
High winds also damaged properties and downed trees in Monroe, Washington and Franklin townships.
Harder to quantify is the flooding that inundated Smale Riverfront Park on the Banks in Downtown Cincinnati, rendered useless the parking lot of the East End's St. Rose Roman Catholic Church and prompted the relocation of post offices in California, Kentucky (41007) and Ripley, Ohio (45167).
More: Businesses and homeowners take account of flooding: There's been 'nothing like yesterday'
More easily quantifiable are the four inches of water in Andrew Scheetz's basement that turned into four feet overnight Saturday. Scheetz, 30, has lived on Stader Avenue in Cincinnati's East End for six years but has never seen what happened now.
"We're pumping 420 gallons a minute," he said as a hose pumped water out from the basement into the street. "But we don't know if it's really helping because water is still coming in through the foundation."
Buy Photo
Sun., Feb. 25, 2018: Clint Jivoin of rural Dearborn County took the opportunity to kayak along streets he normally drives on Sunday afternoon, after the Ohio River flooded downtown Aurora, Indiana. This has been the most significant Ohio River flooding since 1997. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran)
The river, and other rivers and streams in the region, will recede over the course of the week. But officials said they didn’t know the scope of the damage in the region and can't until the floodwaters are gone.
No deaths have been reported.
Hardest hit were lower-lying neighborhoods and areas, including communities along the Ohio River: Newtown, the California neighborhood of Cincinnati, Columbia-Tusculum, East End, Sedamsville, Riverside, North Bend and Cleves.
Aurora, Indiana saw floodwaters consume sections of around the edges of Downtown.
Late Saturday and into the morning hours Sunday, the Cincinnati Police Department reported making numerous water rescues of drivers whose vehicles became caught up in the floodwaters.
Buy Photo
A vehicle is submerged along Waits Avenue in California, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, in Cincinnati. The Ohio River is expected to crest at 60.7 feet by Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The river rose above the 60 feet mark for the first time in two decades Sunday morning. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer)
The deeper and longer-lasting problem, though, is the persistent presence of water where it isn't supposed to be, something that began a week earlier.
The Mill Creek Barrier Dam had all eight pumps in service for the first time in recent memory, working to keep the valley dry.
More: 24 floodgates protect Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
More: Flooded basement? Some do's and don't
That's because the region saw record rainfall for the date on Saturday, 2.26 inches in Cincinnati. The deluge did exactly what meteorologists feared: It landed on already soggy southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky communities.
In Silver Grove, a Kentucky town just south of the Ohio River from Coney Island, the floodwaters forced nearly everyone in the Lakeview Trailer Park to evacuate Saturday night.
They landed at the Calvin A. Perry Community Center in Alexandria, which the American Red Cross set up a disaster shelter. About two dozen people stayed the night.
Sunday morning, the kids watched an animal movie and tossed a basketball at a hoop. The adults sat at tables and waited for news. And waited. And waited.
“The TV’s busted here, so we don’t have any news,” Dorothy Smith said.
Lance and Johnnie Hinton decided to drive to Silver Grove and investigate their home. Turning left on Whitney Road, the Hintons saw the water from the backed-up Fourmile Creek encircling the nearest home – theirs.
More: Cincinnati traffic: Here's what you need to know to get to work during the flooding
More: Cincinnati flooding: 70 structures flooded and confirmed tornado in Clermont County
Lance Hinton found a flat-bottomed boat, got in and rowed to his house. Johnnie Hinton stood in the road and dialed her daughter back at the shelter. As she sent live video, voices over the phone repeated, “Oh my God.”
From the boat, Lance Hinton called out, “I’m in the back – the back door is still closed!” He rowed the boat to the front of the house, got to the steps, tied up the boat, unlocked his front door and went inside. He came back a minute later. He called to Johnnie Hinton, “It’s still dry!”
In the East End, the Schmidt softball fields were underwater. Local businesses also took a hit.
The rising water table flooded the basement of the aptly named Hi-Mark, where the flooding forced owners to close their doors Sunday.
"The water started coming in through the walls," said Hi-Mark co-owner Duy Nguyen, who wore swim trunks as he walked up the stairs up from the basement.
Hoses pumped water up from the basement out into the street as passers-by poked their heads in.
Flash flooding and heavy rain flooded a portion of Columbia Parkway for part of Saturday night, blocking the stormwater drains and flooding the basement of Cajun-American restaurant Allyn's Cafe.
Buy Photo
Sun., Feb. 25, 2018: Chad Koller carries his cat, Livy, on Sunday afternoon, after the Ohio River flooded his Aurora, Indiana apartment. Saturday morning, he "woke up into it Ð waist-high water," he said. Koller lost his phone and his water in the flood the day before and came back Sunday to rescue his two cats. "I couldn't find her. I was hoping she was still alive. Then she poked her head out of cabinet," he said. He still hadn't found his other cat. This has been the most significant Ohio River flooding since 1997. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran)
"We've had this problem now for a while," said Allyn Raifstanger, who has owned and operated the cafe since 1991. He estimated $5,000 worth of damage to his basement.
It's Working Out, a fitness studio next door, saw three inches of water and a coat of m&d come inside, causing owner Kristen McAuliffe to cancel Sunday's classes and instead spend the day cleaning up.
Tensions were high overnight Saturday in Sharonville as officials kept a close eye on the dam at Sharon Woods.
More: 5 places to watch the floodwaters safely
“The dam is holding steady at the moment,” Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman wrote in a Facebook post to residents at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. “We are hopeful that it will not topple over at this point."
Flood waters did go over the dam, Sharonville dispatcher Amy Smith said Sunday morning, but evacuations were not necessary.
What's next?
With no rain in the forecast Monday or Tuesday, the river should slowly start to recede, National Weather Service Meteorologist Kristen Cassady said.
Cassady put an emphasis on “slowly,” because tributaries that flow into the river like the Little and Great Miami Rivers will continue to drain into the Ohio, meaning it will take some time for river levels to return to normal.
According to the city, the Ohio River could return to normal levels by the latter part of this week.
Be flood-smart
* Commuting: Officials advised motorists to check on the status of roads to ensure they are open and safe to travel. They also cautioned that leftover debris and sludge can pose a hazard on roads even after water has receded.
* Documenting damage: Hamilton County officials also urged to document the extent of damage to their homes, vehicles or other property to prepare for the assessment of damages and for any insurance or other claims they may file.
* Be aware of aid possibilities: Once the waters retreat, local officials will assess whether there is enough uninsured damage to public facilities to merit federal or state assistance. Based on whether those benchmarks are triggered, residents may also become eligible for federal or other aid for losses not covered by insurance.
CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAIL
Cincinnati flooding: Ohio River crested at 60.53 feet Sunday night
Carrie Blackmore Smith, Alexander Coolidge,Anne Saker,Kate Murphy,Monroe Trombly and Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 8:53 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2018 | Updated 7:19 a.m. ET Feb. 26, 2018
Play
0:15
0:24
Fullscreen
Sponsor Message
Drone footage shows Cincinnati and Aurora under water. This is the first time the river rose above the 60-foot mark in two decades. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran & Michael McCarter
1 of 10
Two to three inches of rain dumped Saturday night and Sunday morning to the already soggy Cincinnati area.This is the first time the river rose above the 60 feet mark for in two decades. Cara Owsley/The Enquirer Cara Owsley/The Enquirer
2 of 10
A look at the Ohio River from a plane on approach to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Saturday afternoon. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran
3 of 10
Cincinnati has had 105 floods since records started to be kept in 1858. Three of 10 have occurred in March, an Enquirer analysis of National Weather Service records shows. NWS forecasters also are projecting we have up to a 10 percent chance of a 'moderate' flood for the week of March 6. Wochit
4 of 10
Aerial footage of Tristate flooding on Tuesday Feb. 20, 2018. The floods affected businesses and communities alongside the river. The Enquirer/Phil Didion
5 of 10
Here's a look at the numbers that explain the 2018 flood of the Ohio River. The Enqurer/Mike Nyerges
6 of 10
The Ohio River is forecast to crest at 55.5 feet in Cincinnati, just over the line between "minor" and "moderate" flooding. How often does such flooding occur and what does it look like in and near the city? Wochit
7 of 10
An amended forecast released Tuesday predicted the river will crest Tuesday night at 55.5 feet, about six inches lower than earlier forecasts. Luann Gibbs/Wochit
8 of 10
Forecasters are predicting the Ohio River will reach the moderate flood stage in a new warning issued Monday morning. Amanda Rossmann
9 of 10
After unprecedented precipitation, the Ohio River in Cincinnati rose to its all-time high on Jan. 26, 1937. It was a natural disaster than spanned the entire length of the 981-mile-long river. Michael Nyerges
10 of 10
Next Video
-
Ohio River Flooding: Drone footage captures Cincinnati, Ohio and Aurora, Indiana floods -
Flooding along Kellogg Avenue -
River view from a plane approaching CVG -
What's Cincy's most flood-prone month? It's coming soon -
Watch: Bird’s-eye view of local flooding -
2018 Ohio River flood by the numbers -
What does 'moderate' flooding look like in Cincinnati? -
Ohio River on the rise at Smale Park -
The Ohio River on the rise -
Ohio River flood of 1937: Worst natural disaster in Cincinnati history
After a nearly a week of rain and flooding, the worst may be over.
The Ohio River crested at 60.53 feet and is on its way back down, according to National Weather Center forecasts.
That ranks 22nd in terms of historic flood crests, just below the 60.60 feet the river reached in March 1936.
It is highest the river has reached since 1997.
"Although it will likely remain in flood through this week, the current forecast indicates a persistent downward trend in the coming days," the organization said on Twitter.
The weather service is projecting that the Ohio River will fall below 56 feet - classified as "minor flooding" on Friday.
It's been a wet month. As of noon Sunday, 7.79 inches of precipitation has been measured at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International airport.
The National Weather Service said this month is the third wettest February on record.
FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedIn
Photos: Flooding worsens across region after record rainfall
Fullscreen
The sun sets behind a flooded Schmidt Park, as seen from the East End neighborhood of Cincinnati on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. Sam Greene/The Enquirer
And, as if to add insult to injury, two tornadoes touched down this weekend, one near the Clermont County village of Felicity and another near the village of Hamersville in Brown County overnight Saturday. The Clermont County tornado was rated an EF 1, while the Brown County iteration had not yet been rated by the weather service.
High winds also damaged properties and downed trees in Monroe, Washington and Franklin townships.
Harder to quantify is the flooding that inundated Smale Riverfront Park on the Banks in Downtown Cincinnati, rendered useless the parking lot of the East End's St. Rose Roman Catholic Church and prompted the relocation of post offices in California, Kentucky (41007) and Ripley, Ohio (45167).
More: Businesses and homeowners take account of flooding: There's been 'nothing like yesterday'
More easily quantifiable are the four inches of water in Andrew Scheetz's basement that turned into four feet overnight Saturday. Scheetz, 30, has lived on Stader Avenue in Cincinnati's East End for six years but has never seen what happened now.
"We're pumping 420 gallons a minute," he said as a hose pumped water out from the basement into the street. "But we don't know if it's really helping because water is still coming in through the foundation."
Sun., Feb. 25, 2018: Clint Jivoin of rural Dearborn County took the opportunity to kayak along streets he normally drives on Sunday afternoon, after the Ohio River flooded downtown Aurora, Indiana. This has been the most significant Ohio River flooding since 1997. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran)
The river, and other rivers and streams in the region, will recede over the course of the week. But officials said they didn’t know the scope of the damage in the region and can't until the floodwaters are gone.
No deaths have been reported.
Hardest hit were lower-lying neighborhoods and areas, including communities along the Ohio River: Newtown, the California neighborhood of Cincinnati, Columbia-Tusculum, East End, Sedamsville, Riverside, North Bend and Cleves.
Aurora, Indiana saw floodwaters consume sections of around the edges of Downtown.
Late Saturday and into the morning hours Sunday, the Cincinnati Police Department reported making numerous water rescues of drivers whose vehicles became caught up in the floodwaters.
A vehicle is submerged along Waits Avenue in California, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, in Cincinnati. The Ohio River is expected to crest at 60.7 feet by Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The river rose above the 60 feet mark for the first time in two decades Sunday morning. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer)
The deeper and longer-lasting problem, though, is the persistent presence of water where it isn't supposed to be, something that began a week earlier.
The Mill Creek Barrier Dam had all eight pumps in service for the first time in recent memory, working to keep the valley dry.
More: 24 floodgates protect Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
More: Flooded basement? Some do's and don't
That's because the region saw record rainfall for the date on Saturday, 2.26 inches in Cincinnati. The deluge did exactly what meteorologists feared: It landed on already soggy southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky communities.
In Silver Grove, a Kentucky town just south of the Ohio River from Coney Island, the floodwaters forced nearly everyone in the Lakeview Trailer Park to evacuate Saturday night.
They landed at the Calvin A. Perry Community Center in Alexandria, which the American Red Cross set up a disaster shelter. About two dozen people stayed the night.
Sunday morning, the kids watched an animal movie and tossed a basketball at a hoop. The adults sat at tables and waited for news. And waited. And waited.
“The TV’s busted here, so we don’t have any news,” Dorothy Smith said.
Lance and Johnnie Hinton decided to drive to Silver Grove and investigate their home. Turning left on Whitney Road, the Hintons saw the water from the backed-up Fourmile Creek encircling the nearest home – theirs.
More: Cincinnati traffic: Here's what you need to know to get to work during the flooding
More: Cincinnati flooding: 70 structures flooded and confirmed tornado in Clermont County
Lance Hinton found a flat-bottomed boat, got in and rowed to his house. Johnnie Hinton stood in the road and dialed her daughter back at the shelter. As she sent live video, voices over the phone repeated, “Oh my God.”
From the boat, Lance Hinton called out, “I’m in the back – the back door is still closed!” He rowed the boat to the front of the house, got to the steps, tied up the boat, unlocked his front door and went inside. He came back a minute later. He called to Johnnie Hinton, “It’s still dry!”
In the East End, the Schmidt softball fields were underwater. Local businesses also took a hit.
The rising water table flooded the basement of the aptly named Hi-Mark, where the flooding forced owners to close their doors Sunday.
"The water started coming in through the walls," said Hi-Mark co-owner Duy Nguyen, who wore swim trunks as he walked up the stairs up from the basement.
Hoses pumped water up from the basement out into the street as passers-by poked their heads in.
Flash flooding and heavy rain flooded a portion of Columbia Parkway for part of Saturday night, blocking the stormwater drains and flooding the basement of Cajun-American restaurant Allyn's Cafe.
Sun., Feb. 25, 2018: Chad Koller carries his cat, Livy, on Sunday afternoon, after the Ohio River flooded his Aurora, Indiana apartment. Saturday morning, he "woke up into it Ð waist-high water," he said. Koller lost his phone and his water in the flood the day before and came back Sunday to rescue his two cats. "I couldn't find her. I was hoping she was still alive. Then she poked her head out of cabinet," he said. He still hadn't found his other cat. This has been the most significant Ohio River flooding since 1997. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran)
"We've had this problem now for a while," said Allyn Raifstanger, who has owned and operated the cafe since 1991. He estimated $5,000 worth of damage to his basement.
It's Working Out, a fitness studio next door, saw three inches of water and a coat of m&d come inside, causing owner Kristen McAuliffe to cancel Sunday's classes and instead spend the day cleaning up.
Tensions were high overnight Saturday in Sharonville as officials kept a close eye on the dam at Sharon Woods.
More: 5 places to watch the floodwaters safely
“The dam is holding steady at the moment,” Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman wrote in a Facebook post to residents at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. “We are hopeful that it will not topple over at this point."
Flood waters did go over the dam, Sharonville dispatcher Amy Smith said Sunday morning, but evacuations were not necessary.
What's next?
With no rain in the forecast Monday or Tuesday, the river should slowly start to recede, National Weather Service Meteorologist Kristen Cassady said.
Cassady put an emphasis on “slowly,” because tributaries that flow into the river like the Little and Great Miami Rivers will continue to drain into the Ohio, meaning it will take some time for river levels to return to normal.
According to the city, the Ohio River could return to normal levels by the latter part of this week.
Be flood-smart
* Commuting: Officials advised motorists to check on the status of roads to ensure they are open and safe to travel. They also cautioned that leftover debris and sludge can pose a hazard on roads even after water has receded.
* Documenting damage: Hamilton County officials also urged to document the extent of damage to their homes, vehicles or other property to prepare for the assessment of damages and for any insurance or other claims they may file.
* Be aware of aid possibilities: Once the waters retreat, local officials will assess whether there is enough uninsured damage to public facilities to merit federal or state assistance. Based on whether those benchmarks are triggered, residents may also become eligible for federal or other aid for losses not covered by insurance.
CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAIL
