Cities in central and southern Ohio saw record levels of rainfall on Sunday as storms rolled through the region.
A total of 0.7 inches of rain fell over Columbus on Sunday. The city’s previous daily rainfall record was set in 1954 at a total of 0.56 inches, according to the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati endured 1.76 inches of rain and broke 1.57 inches in 2017.
“With this system, we had unusually high (rainfall) water values that we see for our area. So we knew we had a really deep bed and a deep column of moisture,” said Logan Clark, a meteorologist with the Wilmington Meteorological Service office.
This weekend’s flood was to blame for a stationary front that stalled over the southeastern United States. This provided a continuous lifting mechanism that interacted with the moisture in the atmosphere of South Ohio and Kentucky and increased precipitation, Clark said.
This weather system, combined with the recent severe thawing of snow and ice, is causing rivers and streams to swell and flood across the region.
Clark said this is particularly affecting areas in southern Ohio where some bodies of water are still in a minor state of flooding and residents may have problems with floods and road closures. He said another point of concern is larger bodies of water that can flood more slowly.
“The Ohio River is one that we are going to take a closer look at today and see what to expect with it because that is another one that is starting to rise now because it is so big it is slower to react,” said Clark.
Although Ohio will still feel the remaining effects of the rain and flooding for the coming week, elevated temperatures and a lack of rainfall should help the soils with absorption, Clark said.
“We will see temperatures close to normal at the beginning and then come back above normal for this time of year, so the ability of the soils will be improved when the next rainfall absorbs them a little.” more efficient.”
@emmascottmoran
