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.

On the evening of May 12th a warm front tracking north over Lake Erie, reversed itself and moved back inland over northern Ohio. An organized convective complex with embedded supercells developed over north-central Ohio. Two confirmed tornadoes, one in Medina and the other in Lorain Counties, developed within this supercells. The slow movement of the storms combined with intense rainfall rates produced destructive flash floods across dozens of communities.