Flash Flood Warning Issued for Columbus and Central Ohio Counties Through Early Friday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a Flash Flood Warning for portions of central Ohio. The alert was triggered by radar-indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area, with flash flooding either ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following regions in central Ohio:

• Southern Franklin County
• Northwestern Fairfield County
• Southeastern Madison County
• Northwestern Pickaway County

Specific locations that may experience flash flooding include Columbus, Reynoldsburg, Grove City, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, Pickerington, Bexley, Pataskala, Groveport, West Jefferson, Ohio State University, Lake Darby, Whitehall, Grandview Heights, Obetz, Commercial Point, Urbancrest, Valleyview, Marble Cliff, and Harrisburg.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas should follow these safety instructions:

• Turn around, don’t drown: Do not attempt to drive through flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
• Use extreme caution at night: It is much harder to recognize the dangers of flooding in the dark.
• Reporting: To report flash flooding, visit weather.gov/iln or submit a report via social media when it is safe to do so.

Expected Conditions

According to radar data, between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have already fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible. The primary hazards include flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

Timeline

The Flash Flood Warning is effective as of 11:37 PM EST on February 19 and is currently set to expire at 2:45 AM EST on February 20.