FAIRFAX — Residents of this east-side village are bracing for a fight against their perennial enemy: flash flooding along Duck Creek and Little Duck Creek.

Bob Nugent watches the Little Duck Creek rise as it flows beneath the Bedford Street bridge next to his home in Fairfax, a village that in previous years has battled a great deal of flash flooding. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        This week's heavy rains have brought back memories of July 17-18, 2001. That's when flash floods ripped through the neighborhood, killing two people and damaging 78 homes.

        Some residents on Bedford and Simpson streets were busy Wednesday moving belongings out of basements and watching nervously as water surged within a foot of overflowing Little Duck Creek about noon.

        “It came up real fast,” said Robert Ralston, who lives at 6206 Bedford, next to a bridge over the creek. “Luckily it went down just as fast. Within an hour and a half it was down 3 feet.”

        Residents continued to walk over the bridge watching the creek. Among them were Mike and Renee Bohlen, 2986 Simpson, who suffered $40,000 in damages in Last July's flood.

        “We moved everything out of the basement and moved our cars out of this area,” Mr. Bohlen said. “I have been watching it since Monday and I will continue to watch it as long as it rains.”

TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN

The National Weather Service reported a tornado touched down briefly around 6:05 p.m. Wednesday near Wilmington, Ohio, about 45 minutes northeast of Cincinnati in Clinton County.     The “very small” tornado, about 25-50 yards wide, touched down twice — once for a couple minutes and again for about 30 seconds near the intersection of Interstate 71 and U.S. 68, said Meteorologist Scott Hickman.     The F-0 classification tornado (40-72 mph winds) caused minor damage to buildings and vehicles in the area, he said. No injuries were reported.

        Meanwhile, plans for various flood-control projects here are moving ahead. A committee of residents in the targeted area for flood proofing and buyouts will meet at 5:30 p.m. today in the Village Hall to assess damages and develop a plan to get funds from the state Hazard Mitigation program. The public is invited.

        Money from the program would be used to flood-proof homes, some of which might have to be elevated.

        It's one of three flood-relief projects planned here. Residents and business owners say the work is desperately needed, but officials worry about how they'll pay for their shares of the multimillion-dollar projects.

        Gerri Rivero, who lives on South Whetzel, said she stayed home from work Tuesday because of concerns about rising water.

        “Last year we had to wade through the water to move the cars out. I don't think we should live in this kind of fear,” she said.

        Sima Merick, chief of the mitigation branch of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, said $800,000 is available for flood-proofing. Twenty homes on South Whetzel, Watterson and Nightingale Court are targeted for the project.

        The village has applied for hazard mitigation funds, said Jennifer Kaminer, village administrator. The village's share is 25 percent, or $200,000, which council must approve.

        “Fairfax stands a good chance of being funded, depending on whether it comes up with its matching funds,” Ms. Merick said.

        Mrs. Kaminer said it's possible the village might have two separate flood-related projects going at the same time on Little Duck Creek. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering a buyout of 38 homes on the eastern side of the flood plain.

        Those homes had the worst damage along Simpson, Bedford, Murray and Warren streets last July. The estimated cost is $8 million. Under the corps program, Fairfax has to come up with 35 percent, about $2.8 million.

        Mrs. Kaminer said the village has applied for $1 million from the Clean Ohio Fund that could be part of the matching funds. Village officials will learn by July if that grant was approved.

        Fairfax is already committed to a $36 million Corps of Engineers flood protection project on Duck Creek. The corps estimates that flooding there caused more than $2 million damages to nearby businesses over a 10-year period. The village must spend $1.1 million in local match for that project.

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