FALMOUTH — After waiting and watching through the night, residents of Falmouth and nearby portions of Pendleton County got good news Thursday when the Licking River crested at 29 feet, just one foot over flood stage.

A truck plows Thursday through Dodd Avenue in Dayton, Ky., where the Ohio River has overflowed. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        The river that nearly wiped Falmouth off the map in 1997 was originally predicted by National Weather Service experts to crest at 35 feet, seven feet over flood stage, which would have flooded some parts of the city. But other than the closing of county schools because some roads were inundated by smaller creeks out of their banks, the threat of flood has passed with little effect.

        The same is true for the Ohio River, which is expected to crest at 48 feet at Cincinnati today,according to National Weather Service meteorologists. Flood stage is 52 feet.

        “The Ohio will affect the low-lying areas like Riverbend (Music Center) and other spots along U.S. 52 (Kellogg Avenue), but it should start to drop (today) through Saturday,” said forecaster Brian Coniglio.

        He said said some areas in Scioto County around Portsmouth, east of Cincinnati, were affected by the rising Ohio.

        Brewster Rhoads, 50, a Mount Washington resident who has a houseboat on the Ohio River and paddles his kayak there almost daily, said Thursday that he has seen all sorts of debris washed into the river over the past couple of days.

        “I saw a dead six-foot snake today, and a deer floating in the river yesterday,” he said. “The river was really ripping. Anything that floats will wash into the river when it's moving this fast.”

        A flood warning remained in effect for the Kentucky River in Owen and Carroll counties until early today, when the river was expected to crest and then begin to drop quickly, as the Licking River was starting to do Thursday.

        Mr. Coniglio said there was some flooding reported along Ky. 355, which was closed along the Owen-Carroll county line and in parts of Carrollton.

        “The good news is we will be drying out for (today) and Saturday, and then there's a chance of rain on Sunday and Monday,” he said. “Depending on the track the storm takes, it could result in additional flooding, but we can't tell yet how it will move. The storm is bringing quite a bit of moisture out of the Gulf of Mexico, just like this last front.”

        Temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-30s today and then warm up to the mid-40s Saturday.

        Randy Tucker contributed to this report.        

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