By Reid Forgrave and Matt Leingang
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Heavy showers splattered problems across the Tristate on Sunday: flooded basements, closed roads, numerous traffic accidents including one fatal crash, and flood watches or warnings for most of the region.

The Great Miami, Little Miami and Whitewater rivers were still rising Sunday evening, expected to crest either late Sunday or early today.

Clayton Morehead walks along his driveway near a shed as water threatens the contents. (Michael E. Keating photo)

Although the Tristate's heaviest rainfall since October was causing scattered flooding and authorities warned motorists to be wary on roads near creeks and other waterways, no major flooding damage was expected.

Weather forecasters say the region got lucky. If the sub-freezing temperatures coming this week were in the air Sunday, the rainstorm likely would have been a snowstorm of more than a foot.

Today, Greater Cincinnatians will see a shift toward the coldest temperatures this winter. Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Wilmington predict a 30 percent chance of snow showers today with highs in the mid-30s. High temperatures for the rest of the week will likely stay at or below freezing; a low of 5 degrees will come Tuesday night.

"We might get above freezing later this week, but I doubt it," said Steve Hrebenach, a National Weather Service meteorologist. "It's quite a contrast from what we've had over the past few days."

Police believe rain was a factor in the traffic death of Peggy Adkins, 25, of Covington, early Sunday morning after she lost control of her vehicle.

At about 1:35 a.m., Adkins was driving a 1991 Ford Probe westbound on River Road in Lower Price Hill when she lost control of her car. After crossing the center line, she collided head-on with a tractor-trailer tanker carrying 3,800 pounds of caustic soda, a hazardous material used in the petroleum and paper industries.

Adkins was thrown from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, Earl Morgan, 59, of Covington, was not injured. Hazardous materials teams closed River Road for hours to clean the area.

The fatal accident, the second in Cincinnati this year, was the worst but not the only consequence of the heavy rainfall.

By Sunday night 2.31 inches of rain was measured at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport since showers began Saturday night. The last rainfall of similar size was Oct. 14 when 1.5 inches of rain fell, Hrebenach said.

Rain fell sporadically into the evening.

The National Weather Service said there was minor flooding across the region.

In Whitewater Township, Clayton Moorehead said the Whitewater River that forms the boundary for his property kept rising throughout the day and into his one-story block house on Lawrenceburg Road, which was closed by flooding.

"It started coming over the banks at 8 o'clock this morning, and now my whole yard is under water," Moorehead said Sunday afternoon.

Moorehead was one of dozens of homeowners in the region who reported flooded basements or backed-up sewers.

"I know the water gets in there when it rains, so I don't keep much in my basement," Moorehead said.

The river was flowing fast, Moorehead said, carrying driftwood as large as trees and rising as quickly as six inches an hour.

Rescue personnel from the Harrison Fire Department were dispatched to Walson Road in northern Dearborn County, Ind., late Sunday after a report of seven people trapped in a house by rising water from a flooded creek. Harrison rescue workers launched a boat to retrieve the people.

Several roads were closed in the area. In Adams County, State Route 348 at Compton Hill was closed indefinitely Sunday because of flooding problems caused by Brush Creek. In the city of Franklin in Warren County, a section of Franklin-Trenton Road was shut down by flooding. Near Independence in Kenton County, part of Cody Road was shut down when a nearby creek rose over its banks, and the flooded Pioneer Park was shut down by police.

Police around Greater Cincinnati reported fender-benders from cars hydroplaning, especially on the interstates.

Towing companies reported brisk business. In Lockland, Doug Ames, owner of Allright Towing, said they'd had already been out on 20 tow truck runs by 3 p.m. An average Sunday brings about 15 runs the entire day.

No major problems were reported Sunday in Miamitown, which is prone to flooding from the Great Miami River.

The weather service is expecting "moderate flooding" to occur, Hrebenach said. It was already three feet above its flood stage of 16 feet Sunday afternoon and was expected to crest at 25 feet this morning.

The record for most rainfall for the month of January was 13.68 inches in 1937, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's a heavy rainfall, but not excessive," Hrebenach said. "It's not unusual to have a heavy rain event in the wintertime."

Rivers near flood stage

Great Miami River at Miamitown: At noon the river was measured at 19 feet, well above the flood stage of 16 feet. Forecasters expect the river to crest Monday morning at 25 feet, with minor flooding forecast.

Little Miami River at Kings Mill: At 1 p.m. the river was measured at 15.9 feet, below the flood stage of 17 feet. Forecasters said the river would likely crest Sunday night at 19.5 feet, with minor flooding forecast.

Whitewater River at Brookville: At 2 p.m. the river was measured at 14.3 feet, well below the flood stage of 20 feet. Forecasters expect the river to crest early Monday morning at 16 feet, but they expected flooding downstream from Brookville on lowland flood plains near the Whitewater River.

Ohio River at Cincinnati: At 4 p.m. the river was measured at 45.3 feet, below the flood stage of 52 feet. Forecasters expected the river to have an initial crest from the rains Monday morning at 46.9 feet. But since so many other rivers flow into the Ohio River, forecasters expect it will rise much of this week, likely reaching a crest of 51 feet on Friday.

Licking River at Falmouth, Ky.: was 12.1 feet, will likely crest Tuesday at 15 1/2 feet; the flood stage is 28 feet.

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E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com or mleingang@enquirer.com