News
Severe Weather Brings Rain, Minor Flooding
By: Matt Thigpen
Posted on:
Update 12:30 p.m.
GROVE CITY, Ohio (AP/WOUB) – Authorities have been rescuing people from their homes and cars who’ve been stranded by flooding across Ohio.
In Athens County, firefighters rescued a woman from her car on State Route 13 near Trimble, according to a Facebook post by the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Department.
Firefighters in Fairfield County near Lancaster shuttled out at least a dozen people early Wednesday after neighborhoods were surrounded by several feet of water.
In the Springfield area, crews rescued a woman trapped in her car by high water and a man who came to help after she drove around a road closed sign.
The flooding follows strong winds that knocked down utility poles and wires and damaged buildings Tuesday.
The National Weather Service says investigators Wednesday concluded a tornado with estimated wind speeds of 100-110 mph caused damage in Grove City just south of Columbus. A tornado is also blamed for damage in an area between Dayton and Springfield.
Much of the region is under a flash flood watch warning until 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
The flash flood warning is for Athens, Vinton, Morgan, Perry, and Washington counties.
Rainfall rates of up to an inch an hour can be expected with rounds 2 and 3 of the storms that will progress towards the viewing area throughout the evening hours.
The heavy downpours combined with the already saturated ground is causing moderate flooding across much of the area. According to the Athens Emergency Management Agency, a number of roads in Athens are closed because of high water. A complete listing of road closures can be found here.
The severe weather is also associated with a strong low-pressure system that is moving eastward this evening. Parts of western Ohio are under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
A cold front is expected to move through the region tonight bringing a chance for strong to severe storms, with strong winds nearing 60 mph, and much cooler temperatures for Wednesday.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.