Hamilton County declares state of emergency after widespread April flooding

Hamilton County commissioners voted April 8 to declare a state of emergency for the county after back-to-back severe storms and extreme rainfall caused riverine and flash flooding across multiple watersheds.

Nick Crosley, director of emergency management for Hamilton County, told commissioners the event began March 30 and that rainfall totals across the county ranged from about 5 to 7.5 inches in the most-affected areas, contributing to extreme soil saturation and high river stages. "Turn around, don't drown," he said when urging residents not to drive around road-closure signs.

Crosley said the Ohio River rose from about 29.9 feet on March 30 to 60.8 feet by the evening of April 7, and the Great Miami and Little Miami rivers also reached high ends of moderate flood stage. He described two specific concerns the county monitored simultaneously: potential overtopping at the West Fork of Mill Creek spillway near Whitten Woods Park, and downstream impacts to the Village of Laughlin including the village water-treatment plant and nearby apartments. Crosley said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adjusted releases and coordinated with local partners to mitigate the worst impacts and that, because of that cooperation, the village avoided major flooding.

The county opened one shelter at the former Oakley Recreation Center; Crosley said three residents were sheltering there as of the previous night. He said the county's mass-care program, coordination with Cincinnati and several townships, and public information work helped reduce impacts but that rescues were necessary when some drivers ignored road-closure signs. "If residents see a road closed sign, please don't drive around the sign," he said.

Crosley outlined next steps in the transition to recovery: public messaging and guidance on safe cleanup, coordination with Hamilton County Public Health and waste hauler Rumpke on disposal of flood-damaged materials, distribution of muck-out kits provided by the American Red Cross, and damage assessments led by local jurisdictions with county assistance. He said damage assessments are due April 25 and that the county will evaluate whether state public assistance or a federal presidential disaster declaration will be requested depending on assessment results.

Commissioners asked for the most-impacted communities and property counts. Crosley said historically flood-prone areas on the East Side and along Riverside Drive and the Ohio Riverfront showed notable impacts, including business parking areas and parks; some mobile home communities and sections of the Whitewater River corridor were inspected and, in those cases, homes were not flooded. He described coordination with municipal partners for road closures, drone imagery collection by county teams, and assistance to local public-works departments.

Crosley warned of cleanup hazards such as mold and urged homeowners to begin airing and drying structures quickly when safe to do so. He said muck-out kits include disinfectants, gloves and brooms and that volunteer organizations in the county's Community Organizations Active in Disasters network are preparing to assist residents who request help. Information and situation reports have been posted at hcready.org and linked from the county homepage; residents also can call 211 (and 311 where appropriate) or the Red Cross for assistance.

The board passed a resolution declaring the local state of emergency; the emergency declaration will be renewed every seven days unless changed by the board.

The county continues to monitor river levels and community needs, and staff said they will provide additional situation reports and updates on recovery steps as assessments are completed.