The National Weather Service issued a flood warning last night for Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Butler, Warren and Clinton counties until 1:00 am. That meant there could have been dangerously high water and flash flooding in the Miami Valley. The flood warning was issued, in part, because of the saturated soil from snow melting in the past few days.
Mike Ekberg is with the Miami Conservancy District. Last night he said the agency monitored levels on the Great Miami River and rerouted stormwater.
Ekberg said he does not expect the Great Miami river to flood even though it has risen four feet in 24 hours in downtown Dayton.
“We've got a flood protection system that consists of five dams and about 55 five miles of Levee that we maintain, '' he said. “They're doing their job right now.”
That flood protection system also includes the Piqua, Troy, West Carrollton, Miamisburg, Franklin, Middletown and Hamilton areas.
Ekberg also said that cars should avoid standing water and for homeowners to follow advice from the National Weather Service for their county, especially if they live near streams or in a low-lying or flood prone area.
Chris Welter is a reporter and corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
