Flash Flood in Lorain County, Ohio

The City of North Ridgeville sustained significant and widespread damage from a flash flood on the evening of May 12th. An estimated 300 homes and 1,000 businesses sustained damage from the flood waters. Heavy rain, measured at 6��� in two locations in town, fell within two hours. The intensity and magnitude of the rain has a return frequency of every 500 years. The storm drains were overwhelmed leading to backwater into area basements. The sewage plant on the French Creek sustained $20,000 in damages. The Mill Creek flooded condos on Mill Creek Boulevard resulting in 15 people rescued from the second floor or their homes. The Mill Creek shopping plaza was inundated from backup on storm drainage backups. The local schools sustained flood damage along with many recreational parks in low lying areas. The worst of the flooding occurred around 1030 pm through midnight. Several structures sustained major damage.

Widespread flash flooding across northern Lorain County due to heavy rainfall. Widespread basement and isolated first floor flooding reported in Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Avon Lake, Avon, and North Ridgeville. Widespread flooded roadways reported. Post event damage assessments reported hundreds of homes and businesses flooded. Radar estimated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches falling in a three hour period, which matched several measured rain gauge reports from the area.

Heavy rain developed across the county during the morning hours of the 7th, and flash flooding quickly developed across northern portions of Lorain County. In the City of Lorain, one report described a man driving down East 28th Street and quickly turning around to avoid becoming stranded in the high water. Shortly after he turned around, he saw cars that continued down the street begin to float in the high water. Floodwaters quickly affected other streets throughout the City of Lorain with numerous reports of stranded cars and vehicle rescues. With conditions deteriorating, roads and underpasses throughout the city were closed. Heavy rainfall also caused flooding of a nursing home and damage to at least forty homes. ||In Sheffield Township several rescues were performed on people stranded in the quickly rising waters. Newspaper articles indicate that flooding of buildings also took place in Avon and Vermilion.||Rainfall reports in Lorain County include 1.66 inches at the Lorain-Elyria Airport and 3.77 inches in Sheffield Lake.