Flooding frustrations grow

Flooding is wreaking havoc on local roads and officials are warning drivers to use caution.

"I have reports of the county getting 5-6 inches of rain since Friday," county 911 administrator Monte Diegel said. "I'm being told we can expect another 3-4 inches over the weekend."

Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey cautioned residents to treat the flooding as a snowstorm.

"I suggest that people call their employers to see if they have to come to work," Grey said. "If someone gets stranded in water, they can be swept away pretty quickly and we need time to get to them."

Any driver ignoring a closed road sign and getting stranded will be rescued but will also receive a ticket, Grey said.

"In some ways this is worse than a snowstorm," Grey said.

Diegel said his advice for motorists is to "heed the signs."

"Do not attempt to drive through a flooded area," Diegel said. "Especially at night. Be very cautious. These flooded areas can come up really fast. If we continue to get rain, this situation is going to get worse, so we're asking that drivers stay alert and cautious. We haven't had any reports of drivers needing assistance and we'd like to keep it that way. It doesn't take much for the moving water to sweep a car away."

Ohio Southwest District Park Manager Brian Miller said Grand Lake's water level has risen to almost 13 inches above the spillway notch. The ideal water level is nine inches below the notch.

"But there's nothing we can do," Miller said. "Beaver Creek is already at its capacity and we're going to have flooding. We're just going to have to let Mother Nature take her course. This is a very unusual event for this time of year and we've tried to prepare as best we could with opening the tubes in the winter and spring but no one could have anticipated this much rain in June."

Parkway High School football players were filling sandbags this morning preparing for the rising waters, Rockford Village Administrator Jeff Long said.

"It's becoming a bad day," Long said. "We'll probably be putting the bags on the edge of town and we just want to be prepared as best we can."

The only Rockford streets closed this morning were East Pearl and East streets, Long said.

"But with this rain, we could get more," he added.

Officials Tuesday closed U.S. 33 between Willshire and Rockford and U.S. 127 between state Route 707 and Shelley Road. They remain closed today.

Flooding Tuesday closed more than 20 roads, Diegel said, and more could close as the week continues. Flash flood warnings were in effect until noon today for both Mercer and Auglaize counties. Northern Mercer County, mostly around Rockford Tuesday saw the first flood conditions. By this morning, flooding had spread to the southern part of the county.

"We're getting reports of Fort Recovery now being flooded," Diegel said. "St. Henry is reporting some issues and Burkettsville-St. Henry Road just south of St. Anthony Road is impassable."

Coldwater village administrator Eric Thomas advised residents to stay inside and not to travel "unless it's absolutely necessary."

"We're starting to get some flooding on the roadways," he said. "State Route 219 is closed coming into town."

Minster Village Administrator Don Harrod said only a couple of streets had some high water.

"We're just hoping this stops soon," Harrod said.

However, forecasts call for the rain to continue into the weekend, Diegel said.

Miller and local weather forecaster Dennis Howick agreed people need to watch their crawlspaces and basements for flooding.

"I can't remember this long a rainy spell this time of year," Howick said. "It's going to cost a lot of money with people's basements and crops."

Local road closings:
Mercer County  

• Frysinger Road between U.S. 33 and Shelley Road.

• U.S. 127 at state Route 707 and Shelley Road.

• Celina-Mendon Road between Mercer Road and Neptune-Mendon Road.

• Jordan Road between Lee Road and Rockford West Road.

• Dutton Road between U.S. 127 and Palmer Road.

• State Route 117 between state Route 118 and U.S. 127.

• Neptune-Mendon Road between Thomas Road and Denny Road and Mercer Road and Celina-Mendon Road.

• Mercer Road between Neptune and Celina-Mendon roads.

• Deepcut Road between state Route 707 and Evan Road.

• Tama Road between U.S. 127 and Stose Road.

• Wabash Road between Rockford West Road and Winkler Road.

• Erastus-Durbin Road between Manley Road and Rockford West Road.

• Rivertrail Road between Blackloon Road and Mercer-Van Wert County Line Road.

• State Route 707 between U.S. 127 and state Route 117.

• Siler Road between Celina-Mendon Road and Mercer Road.

• Dutton Road between Tomlinson and Hamilton roads.

• U.S. 33 between Rockford and Willshire.

• Stover Road between Rockford West and Wilson roads.     • State Line Road between Minch and Skeels roads.

• Manly Road between Hill and Erastus-Durbin roads and Jordan between Manly and Rockford and West Lee Road between Hill and Jordan roads.

• State Route 49 between Sipe and Wilson roads.

• State Route 707 between Mendon Village limits to Hamilton Road.

Auglaize County

• State Route 197 between St. Marys River Road and state Route 66.

• State Route 197 between National Road and Kossuth Loop Road.