Flood — Wood, Ohio

2005-01-04 to 2005-01-17 · Wood, Ohio

Wider weather episode

Heavy rain and runoff from snowmelt caused extensive flooding in Wood, Lucas and Ottawa Counties the first half of January. The flooding was most severe along the Maumee and Portage Rivers. At Waterville in Wood County, the Maumee River first went above the flood stage of 9 feet during the late morning hours of January 4th and then again around midday on the 12th. Moderate flooding was reported during the middle part of the month with a peak crest of 13.8 feet late in the afternoon of January 14th. Upstream at Grand Rapids, moderate flooding occurred on the 13th and 14th with a crest of 19.07 feet at midday on the 14th. At least 21 businesses and dozens of homes were damaged by flooding in Grand Rapids. Similar damage was reported in Waterville. Devastating flooding was also reported along the Portage River in Pembervillle on the 12th through the 16th. Flood waters in portions of the town were up to five feet deep and nearly 20,000 sandbags were used to fight the flooding. Many evacuations occurred and dozens of homes and businesses were damaged. All of this flooding was caused by a combination of rapid snowmelt and heavy rain. January 2005 was the 8th wettest January ever at Toledo with 4.52 inches of precipitation measured for the month at Toledo Express Airport. Monthly rainfall totals from the cooperative observer network included; 5.28 inches at Bowling Green (Wood County); 5.29 inches at Grand Rapids (Wood County); 5.87 inches at Hoytville (Wood County) and 5.78 inches at Elmore (Ottawa County). In addition to this rain, extensive snowpack existed over Wood, Lucas and Ottawa Counties at the beginning of the month. Temperatures in the 40s and 50s the first three days of the month caused a rapid snowmelt and brought area streams and creeks to bankfull just in time for a significant winter storm on the 5th and 6th. Then, just as things began to return to normal, heavy rains fell on the area on the 11th, 12th and 13th causing conditions to once again worsen. Many roads in Wood County and a few in Lucas and Ottawa Counties had to be closed because of flooding. In addition to the river flooding, hundreds of homes in these counties experienced basement or nuisance flooding. At least two dozen homes were damaged enough to be declared uninhabitable.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5435204. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.