Flood Advisory, Severe Thunderstorm Watch Hit Cincinnati Region
The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory and a severe thunderstorm watch for Hamilton County and the broader Cincinnati region late Sunday night, with over 20 communities at risk of flooding.
CINCINNATI, OHIO — The National Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio, issued a flood advisory and a severe thunderstorm watch for the greater Cincinnati area late Sunday night, covering parts of southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky.
Flood Advisory in Effect
The flood advisory, issued at 11:08 p.m. EDT on June 21, covers Hamilton County, Ohio, and northern Boone County, Kentucky, and remains in effect until 2:30 a.m. EDT Monday, June 22. Radar detected heavy rain from thunderstorms at the time of issuance, with between one and two inches of rain already on the ground and an additional 0.5 inches possible.
According to the National Weather Service, minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in low-lying and poor drainage areas throughout the advisory zone. Residents in affected communities are urged to avoid flood-prone areas.
Locations identified by the National Weather Service as potentially experiencing flooding include: Cincinnati, Covington, Norwood, Forest Park, Erlanger, Fort Thomas, Newport, Sharonville, Blue Ash, Loveland, Springdale, Reading, Montgomery, North College Hill, Madeira, Wyoming, Cheviot, Villa Hills, Milford, and Mount Healthy.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Covers Wide Area
A separate severe thunderstorm watch, Watch 369, was issued at 9:22 p.m. EDT on June 21 and remains valid until 2:00 a.m. EDT Monday, June 22, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio. The watch spans a broad three-state area across portions of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
In Ohio, the watch includes eight counties: Adams, Highland, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren. Three Kentucky counties are under the watch: Boone, Campbell, and Kenton. Five Indiana counties are also included: Fayette and Union in east central Indiana, and Dearborn, Franklin, and Ripley in southeast Indiana.
Cities specifically named under the severe thunderstorm watch include Aberdeen, Alexandria, Aurora, Batesville, Bellevue, Blanchester, Bright, Brookville, Burlington, Connersville, Covington, Day Heights, Dayton, Dillsboro, Downtown Cincinnati, Erlanger, Fairfield, Florence, Fort Thomas, Franklin, Georgetown, Greendale, Greenfield, Hamilton, Hidden Valley, Highland Heights, Hillsboro, Independence, Landen, Lawrenceburg, and Lebanon, among others listed by the National Weather Service.
What Residents Should Know
The National Weather Service classifies the flooding impacts as minor, affecting primarily low-lying terrain and areas with poor drainage. However, even minor flooding can make roads impassable and create hazardous driving conditions during overnight hours.
Both the flood advisory and the severe thunderstorm watch were set to expire in the early morning hours of June 22. Residents in the affected counties should monitor local alerts and avoid unnecessary travel through areas prone to water accumulation.
