St. Marys hit hard by flooding

St. MARYS - Heavy rainfall and hail pounded Mercer and Auglaize counties Thursday night into Friday morning, causing extensive flooding and one local school district to close for the day.

"We definitely have our hands full," St. Marys Director of Public Service and Safety Greg Foxhoven said Friday afternoon.

More than 4.5 inches of rain fell in the city, according to Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency Director Troy Anderson.

Roadways were covered with water as of Friday evening as the level on some streets continued to rise, Foxhoven said, adding a police officer was directing traffic in knee-deep water at the intersection of Greenville Road and Main Street near K.C. Geiger Park.

Crew members have closed all roads south of South Street due to high water, he said. They had also closed State Route 66 heading out of the city near State Route 219 and rerouted traffic.

The extent of the flooding is comparable to the flood eight years ago, he said. At least 25 buildings have been damaged, meeting the requirement to declare an emergency.

"We're reviewing it," he said. "Right now, we're focused on trying to help residents and getting them the help they need first. Homes look like little islands everywhere."

In St. Marys Township, State Route 29 at Plattner Pike also remained closed Friday due to high water, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation news release.

In the Celina area, 2.43 inches of rain fell, local weatherman Dennis Howick said. So far in May, the area's had 4.05 inches of rain. The 20-year average for all of May is 3.98 inches, putting the area on pace to double that total.

He noted the storm had dumped 5 inches of rain on a farm he operates southeast of Wapakoneta.

The Mercer County Fairgrounds looked like a lake Friday morning, fair manager Cara Muhlenkamp added.

"We had lots of flooding that got into the cattle barns," she said late Friday afternoon. "Many of the camping areas are also flooded. It is starting to go down right now but is still standing on the grass."

As a result, the May Campout scheduled for this weekend has been canceled, she said.   

Roadways in low-lying areas, including Wabash Road between Rockford West and Winkler roads and Schunck Road, were closed on Friday, but major roadways were all open, said Mike Robbins, Mercer County Emergency Management Agency director. Neptune-Mendon Road between Celina-Mendon Road and Mercer was also closed due to high water, according to a Mercer County Sheriff's department news release.

St. Marys City Schools officials canceled classes on Friday, and Celina City Schools students were on a two-hour delay due to the flooded roads.

Water levels in the St. Marys River at Rockford were observed at 8 feet 3 inches at 11:40 a.m. Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Flood stage is at 13 feet and the river is expected to rise to upward of 14 feet by today as the water flows toward the village.

Dime-to-golfball-sized hail also came down in the area, Howick said.

"That hasn't happened for many, many years," he added.

Robbins said he expects vehicles left outside may have been damaged but is not aware of any other damage caused by the hail.

The forecast for Sunday calls for showers and thundershowers, Howick said.