GREENFIELD, Ohio — Village crews spent Saturday clearing storm drains after more than 7 inches of rain fell on Greenfield, prompting a flash flood warning from the National Weather Service and an appeal from village officials for residents to stay away from emergency responders.
“We had over 7 inches of rain in Greenfield today,” the village government said in a Facebook post Saturday evening. “Our crews are out cleaning drains and doing everything they can to get our town back to normal.” The village asked residents to “stay clear of all emergency crews” working through the affected areas.
The National Weather Service office in Wilmington extended a flash flood warning Saturday evening for northeastern Highland County and west-central Ross County, an area that includes Greenfield, which straddles the two counties. The agency said local law enforcement reported flash flooding across the warned area, with between 2 and 3 inches of additional rain having fallen by 7:22 p.m. and up to another inch possible.
The weather service said the flooding, caused by thunderstorms, threatened small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, along with other low-lying and poorly drained locations. Greenfield and Paint Creek State Park were specifically named as places likely to see flash flooding.
Saturday’s storms extended a stretch of wet weather that has plagued Highland and Ross counties since at least Sept. 9, when the weather service reported significant flooding near the Highland County Fairgrounds and rushing water over State Route 73. The National Weather Service has issued repeated flood advisories and warnings for the region through the week.
The weather service urged drivers to never drive through flooded roadways. “Turn around, don’t drown,” the agency said, noting that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Village of Greenfield, Ohio and the National Weather Service.
