Weather in the Ohio Valley has been full of surprises this month… We’ve had record setting cold, mid 60’s and sunshine, rain, sleet, snow and just about everything in between. The latest concern is flooding, due to large amounts of rainfall expected to occur today and tomorrow.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch that remains in effect from Monday morning through Tuesday evening. Up to 3 inches of rain is expected between these two days. This large amount of rain in such a short timespan combined with already saturated ground from previous rainfall has the potential to cause local flooding of creeks, streams and even along main stem rivers.
One of the greatest concerns for flooding is the Hocking River. The latest observed value was 14.74 ft., however the Hocking is projected to reach flood stage (20 ft.) in the upcoming days. While the rain is expected to come to an end on Wednesday, The National Weather Service predicts Wednesday to be the highest levels on the Hocking River and the greatest risk is after all the rain has concluded.
Flooding on Ohio University’s campus is nothing new, as Athens has plenty of history of flooding of the Hocking River over the years. Many features of Ohio University’s campus were purposely structured with the expectation of flooding in mind. For example, the catwalks located on South Green were built for this reason.
Residents are instructed to pay close attention to updated forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings.