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Thunderstorms bring wind, flooding
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By BARBARA GOLDMAN, MARLA TONCRAY, WENDY MITCHELL
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Two days of wind and torrential downpours took their toll on area communities, with flash flooding covering area roadways and more and wind leaving property owners to survey the damage.
Title: Summer storms sweep through area
Date: Jun. 4th, 2008
Thunderstorms ripped through the area Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving behind downed trees and some property damage. Some flash flooding occured Wednesday following rainfalls that totaled as much as 3 inches in just a few hours in some areas.
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In Mason County, two trees were reported down on Mason-Lewis Road in the Bull Creek area around 4:30 p.m, Tuesday. Mason County Sheriff Patrick Boggs said eastern Mason County was hit hardest by the severe weather that moved through the county, with trees were also reported down on Owl Hollow Road in the Rectorville area.
Mason County Road Department Supervisor Jerry Arthur said Old Halfhill Road in Orangeburg was under two feet of water during the storm Tuesday and water was over the roadway on Day Pike because three culvert pipes couldn't handle the volume of water produced by the thunderstorms. Arthur said ditches and shoulders on Owl Hollow and Springdale roads also flooded, but receded quickly. Arthur said gravel from private driveways and roads washed onto the roadways during the storm would be cleared up Wednesday and overall, there was no major damage reported.
During the wave of storms that rolled across the region Wednesday, severe flash flooding occurred in Orangeburg along Kentucky 1449 and into the center of the community when Indian Creek which runs parallel to the roadway spilled over its banks.
Mason County Emergency Management Director Wayne Muse said flooding began in the area of the New Hope Church and one family was displaced by the high waters. Muse said the American Red Cross in Maysville was contacted to assist the family.
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| Homeowners look from their front porch as Indian Creek rushes by. -- Terry Prather/Staff |
Orangeburg residents Carrie Campbell and her daughter, Elizabeth said the wind built up and was followed by hard rain.
"I looked outside and didn't see anything and 10 minutes later the water from the creek was up to my building," said Carrie Campbell. But the water receded as fast as it rose, she said.
"It dropped really fast."
Elizabeth Campbell said she was worried about more rain still to come. Carrie Campbell said the family didn't experience any damage for the flooding.
The Campbells' neighbor, Janie Whisman pointed to her backyard and said, "I had a garden down there and it's gone."
Whisman said the high waters brought fish and crawdads across the road.
"It got into one of our buildings, " Applegate's Furniture store owner Dean Applegate said. "It got into one of my box trucks. It's terrible. It's unreal."
Applegate said he also had over six inches of water in his garage from the high creek.
"It's truly done a lot of damage up and down the road here," said Applegate.
Muse said he expected the high water to recede in the area by 6 p.m. But another round of heavy rain later in the day may have contributed to repeat flooding.
Fleming County Road Department Supervisor Anthony Vise said there were no reports of serious flooding or wind damage from Tuesday's storms.
However, Wednesday's storms caused some flash flooding in the county in the areas of Poplar Grove Road, Wilson Run and Beechy Creek, according to Fleming County Emergency Management Dwayne Price. Price said there were reports of high winds in the Wallingford area, but reports of a possible tornado in the Foxport and Beechburg area were not true.
Jeff Brown, district conservationist with the Mason County USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office said residents of several communities have called his office to report rainfall totals from the band of storms that moved through the region Tuesday. Brown said unofficial reports include 3.6 inches in May's Lick, 3 inches in Sardis and 3.2 inches in southwest Bracken County.
Brown County, Ohio experienced heavy rain and winds Tuesday night, according to Jane Cahall, Brown County Emergency Management director.
"We haven't had any personal reports," said Cahall. "We've had quite a bit of rain and some power outages."
Ohio 41 was closed Tuesday night and again Wednesday afternoon due to the heavy storms.
Ripley, Ohio and some of the surrounding area experienced a loss of power after a Duke Energy substation went down for three and a half hours.
Nowana Bingman with Brown County Communications said several large trees fell down throughout the county.
"A large tree fell on a trailer on Hickory Street in Aberdeen," said Bingman. "No one was hurt."
Wednesday caused flooding problems in Ripley, according to Village Fiscal Officer Lesley Meyers.
"We've just had a lot of water problems," said Meyers. "It's been raining so hard the drains couldn't keep up with the water and it's causing some flooding in the streets."
Ohio State Highway Patrol Dispatch Officer Jennifer Werring said on Wednesday afternoon that OSHP had someone check on the area along U.S. 52 between Aberdeen and Ripley. That area had previously experienced landslide problems.
Werring said that their was no damage found and that the road was open. |
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Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
Concerned Lewis Countian wrote on Jun 9, 2008 4:34 PM: " The Lewis County road crew needs help. I still cannot get back to my house. It has been since Wednesday. It would be great if crews from surrounding counties would come in and help. Lewis County is a big county with small resources. Please help. "
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