Officials report flash flooding and limited evacuations after Friday storm; Red Cross assessed apartments
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Summary
County emergency staff said a flash flood caused rapid water rises (stream gauge peaked at 11.43 feet) and prompted apartment parking-lot flooding and targeted evacuations; Red Cross conducted assessments and churches hosted a few residents temporarily.
County emergency staff described a fast-moving storm that triggered a flash-flood warning early Friday, prompted targeted evacuations at a Marion-area apartment complex and prompted a Red Cross assessment of affected units.
"That was 06:30, it peaked at 11.43 feet," Nelson said when describing the West Elm/ODOT stream gauge readings, and he contrasted the event with a May flood that reached about 6.96 feet. Nelson said the rapid rise typified a flash flood and produced deep water in parking areas and roads in parts of northern and western Morrow County.
Nelson told commissioners that the first emergency call came about 05:46 and that crews used fire trucks and squad vehicles to remove residents from a complex and bring some to emergency services; Trinity church opened as an initial shelter. "We had max of maybe 10 people at any one time," he said, and most residents were reunited with family or driven elsewhere by midday as waters receded.
The county notified the Red Cross, which sent a three-person team to inspect five buildings (eight apartments apiece, about 40 units total). Nelson said the Red Cross found no widespread interior flooding in the units that required long-term sheltering, though parking lots had high water and some crawlspace concerns were noted.
Nelson also reported coordination items: he and local chiefs reset stream-gauge alerts, planned post-storm sheltering assessments with local churches and facilities (including Trinity and Cedars on Center) and discussed using MCAT buses for transport if needed. He said county staff will follow up to confirm structural supports under a small number of trailers where water ran beneath homes.
Commissioners and staff emphasized the need for better public notice about wireless emergency alerts versus sirens, and Nelson said staff would continue outreach after after-action checks.
The board did not take formal action beyond accepting the report; staff said they will continue operational monitoring and shelter planning for future storms.
