Saturday, February 19, 2000
Flooding hits Falmouth, may spare us
Ohio River to reach flood stage;
Little Miami, Great Miami will spill over
BY PHILLIP PINA and KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Heavy rains Friday sent Falmouth, Ky., residents scurrying as the Licking River spilled over its banks again.
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FLOOD OF '97
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March 2, 1997: Falmouth, Ky., was buried under the muddy water of the Licking River.
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Forecasters expected the Licking to crest 14 feet above flood stage early Sunday — 10 feet short of its crest during the deadly 1997 flood, but still enough to affect 200 to 300 homes.
The Ohio River is expected to crest at its 52-foot flood stage Sunday, too.
With memories of 1997 fresh in residents' minds, Falmouth was gearing for another bout of battling a flood. Authorities warned occupants of the few remaining homes in the Shoemakertown area of Falmouth devastated in the 1997 flood to take precautions. And most didn't have to be asked twice.
Trucks, car and minivans filled with personal belongings were seen leaving low-lying areas for higher ground.
“I guess we are going to do it all over again,” said Ronnie Bay, a Falmouth resident who was packing up valuables late Friday. It took a year to repair his home, within a stone's throw of the Licking River, from the 1997 flood. The water then reached the roof of his home.
As much as 6 inches of rain fell in the Licking basin Friday, triggering the river's climb. By 11:30 Friday night, it had reached 30.7 feet in Falmouth, 2.7 feet above flood stage.
National Weather Service officials predicted the river would crest at 42 feet at 1 a.m. Sunday. In March 1997, the Licking reached 52 feet, killing five and destroying more than 250 homes and businesses. Fed by thunderstorms, flash floods and swollen tributaries like the Licking, the Ohio River shot past its 52-foot flood stage at Cincinnati, cresting at 64.7 feet.
The National Weather Service said the Ohio was expected to crest in Cincinnati at flood stage at 7 a.m. Sunday. Heavy rains Friday and over the past few days are expected to push most of its tributaries to their banks, said Greg Tipton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
In addition to the Shoemakertown area and neighborhoods north of downtown Falmouth, low-lying portions of Butler, Ky., were also expected to be flooded, Mr. Tipton said.
An already soaked Tristate received as much as 3 inches of rain by the time it had tapered off Friday night.
The storm brought from 3 to 12 inches of snow to the Chicago area, as well as 9 inches of snow to parts of Iowa and Nebraska. More than 8 inches fell on southern Wisconsin and up to 6 inches in parts of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Four inches fell in areas of northern Ohio.
South of the snow, a boat capsized during a rescue effort along a swollen creek outside Charleston, W.Va., leaving one person dead and two presumed drowned. Four others were rescued.
Over the 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m. Friday, 2.49 inches of rain was reported at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
But a band stretching south of Falmouth dumped as much as 6 inches of rain. It is that water that is being blamed for the flooding in Falmouth, Mr. Tipton said. The heavy rains have pushed rivers up faster and higher than first forecast.
Before Friday, the Tristate had received 7.2 inches of rain since Jan. 1. That was about 3 inches above normal.
In Ohio, the Great Miami River in Middletown was at 13.8 feet at 7 p.m. Friday. It was expected to reach 16 to 17 feet about 7 p.m. today, with flooding in low-lying areas along the river. Flood stage is 16 feet.
The Little Miami River at Milford was expected to reach 18 to 18.5 feet Friday night. Flood stage is 17 feet. Hamilton County officials were monitoring river levels throughout the region, though no major problems were reported Friday night.
Most of the concern has been focused on Northern Kentucky. Pat Conley of the Division of Emergency Management said schools in Nicholas, Montgomery and Harrison counties closed early so children could catch buses home and avoid flooding along some roads and bridges.
Even before the waters hit flood stage, goodwill had found its way back to Falmouth. Glen Comstock, 37, of Burlington, Ky., was one of many volunteers who helped the village clean up after the 1997 flood. Friday, he was already back, helping the Bay family move valuables to higher ground.
“I feel sorry for these people,” Mr. Comstock said. He remembered the devastation the families of Falmouth experienced three years ago and wanted to help ease some of that pain this time around.
Jane Prendergast, Andrea Tortora, Earnest Winston, Michael D. Clark, Walt Schaefer and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
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