Heavy rain overnight Wednesday into Thursday sent water pouring into neighborhoods, roads, parks and waterways across the Columbus area, with some of the worst flooding concentrated in Columbus, Reynoldsburg, Pataskala, Hebron and Buckeye Lake.
The National Weather Service says 4 to 7 inches of rain fell in the heaviest-hit parts of Franklin and Licking counties during the Aug. 19–20 storm system. Some areas across Central Ohio received more than three inches, and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said parts of the city saw 4 to 5 inches of rain.
The result was a long list of flooded roads, stranded vehicles, water rescues and neighborhoods dealing with rapidly rising water.
Columbus Activated Its Floodwall
In Franklinton, the city activated the Franklinton floodwall and floodgates along Greenlawn and Harmon avenues as water levels climbed.
Greenlawn Avenue was closed between Front Street and Harmon Avenue, Harmon Avenue was closed north of Frank Road, and the ramps connecting I-71 to Greenlawn Avenue were also closed. I-71 itself was closed between I-70 and I-270 because of high water.
The floodwall is one of those pieces of Columbus infrastructure that you don’t really think about until the city has to put it into action. Thursday was one of those days. The city later began taking the floodwall down after the heaviest rain moved out.
Flooding wasn’t limited to the west and south sides, either. Whetstone Park’s soccer fields and Clinton-Como Park in Clintonville were underwater, while high water was reported throughout the region.
Reynoldsburg Saw Major Flooding And Water Rescues
Reynoldsburg was hit particularly hard, with floodwaters overtaking streets, yards and driveways around Nocturne Road and Briarcliff Road. Water rescue crews spent hours helping residents and their pets get to safety as floodwaters rose around homes.
The flooding also reached the Heritage Sports Complex, where photos and video showed large portions of the facility underwater.
Pataskala And Licking County Were Among The Hardest Hit
East of Columbus, the situation became even more serious in parts of Licking County.
Pataskala, Hebron and surrounding communities saw extensive flooding after already receiving substantial rainfall over the previous several days. Roads were covered, basements flooded and emergency crews responded to multiple water rescues.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the area Thursday morning, describing conditions as dangerous and life-threatening and telling people not to travel unless they were evacuating or fleeing flooding.
Several school districts closed or delayed classes because of flooded roads, including Licking Heights, Southwest Licking, Licking Valley and Granville. Pickerington and Reynoldsburg schools also closed Thursday, while several other Central Ohio districts delayed their starts.
Hebron officials were also assessing evacuations in the Greenbriar Village neighborhood as floodwaters from the South Fork of the Licking River and nearby tributaries moved through the area.
Buckeye Lake Was Under An Evacuation Order
Things got particularly serious around Buckeye Lake, where rising water along the South Fork of the Licking River prompted evacuation orders.
The village initially encouraged voluntary evacuations in some of the lowest-lying areas, including Buckeye Lake Estates and the KOA campground near State Route 79. By Thursday evening, the village upgraded that to a mandatory evacuation order beginning at 8 p.m. for properties west of the SR 79/SR 360 intersection.
The order was issued as the South Fork was expected to continue rising, with officials forecasting a crest of 883.5 feet.
And yes, this also caused major problems for drivers.
I-70 was closed in both directions near Buckeye Lake after floodwaters covered portions of the highway. Route 79 and nearby ramps were also affected by high water.
Columbus firefighters had a particularly busy morning.
Near Gender Road, floodwaters swept through a homeless encampment, prompting a major search and rescue operation. Five people and a dog were initially unaccounted for, but all were eventually found alive.
Firefighters also rescued two people from Blacklick Creek and assisted two Columbus police officers who entered the water during the response.
Later Thursday afternoon, crews rescued a 12-year-old boy from the same creek after he tried to cross a bridge on his bicycle and was swept into the water. Firefighters used ropes and buoys to pull him to safety, and he was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
The Columbus Division of Fire urged people to stay out of moving floodwater, noting that even water that doesn’t look particularly deep or fast can knock someone off their feet or disable a vehicle.
The Rain Has Stopped, But The Flooding Isn’t Over Yet
The heaviest rainfall moved out Thursday morning, but that didn’t mean Central Ohio immediately dried out.
The National Weather Service said significant flooding would continue even after the rain diminished, as swollen rivers and streams continued to rise. By Thursday afternoon, the NWS was still reporting ongoing areal and river flooding, with more significant flooding continuing in portions of Central Ohio.
And after weeks of severe weather, flooding and storm damage across the region, Thursday’s mess is another chapter in what has become an unusually rough stretch of weather for Central Ohio.
For now, the most important thing is pretty simple: don’t drive through flooded roads, don’t walk into moving water, and give those swollen creeks and rivers plenty of space.
