Flash Flood — Hancock, Ohio

2025-05-15 · near (fdy)findlay Arpt, Hancock, Ohio

Event narrative

Flash flooding on the north side of Findlay. Widespread roadway flooding was reported, with flooding of businesses and residence report. Numerous reports of basement flooding across the northern half of Findlay, with several buildings on the campus of the University of Findlay experiencing significant basement flooding. Some reports of parked vehicles stranded in flooded roadways.

Wider weather episode

A broad, negatively-tilted mid level trough was slowly moving east across the lower Great Lakes during the overnight into early morning hours of May 15, 2025. Slow moving showers and thunderstorms associated with a weak surface trough across northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana, and broad isentropic ascent from an approaching warm front from the southwest, moved across Hancock County with seasonally high rainfall rates. Precipitable water values near 1.3, which exceeds the 90th percentile for this time of year, and low echo centroid storms allowed for efficient rainfall processes and rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour. The slow moving storms and high rainfall rates culminated in localized flash flooding over the northern half of the city of Findlay, where measured rainfall of 2.5 to 3.5 inches in under two hours was reported.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (41.0362, -83.6749)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1268236. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.