Flash Flood — Wayne, Ohio

2004-05-21 · near North Portion, Wayne, Ohio

Event narrative

A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Wayne County during the late afternoon hours and was quickly followed by a second round of storms. Torrential rain fell as this series of storms moved through. Spotters indicated that as much as two inches of rain fell in an hour. The Rittman area saw the worst flooding. Water as much as waist deep filled portions of the town. Many homes and businesses had to be evacuated. A strip mall was heavily damaged after water outside the mall accumulated to over three feet in depth in less than 30 minutes. The glass store fronts in the mall gave way under the weight of the flood waters and flooded the building in minutes. Dozens of roads in northern Wayne County were either washed out or flooded. Hundreds of homes and vehicles were damaged.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5399645. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.