WLWT News 5 TODAY Meteorologist
Flood alerts: Ohio River to crest Monday morning, catastrophic flooding in Owen County
Updated: 6:12 AM EDT Apr 7, 2025
LEADING THE WAY. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WIDESPREAD FLOODING ACROSS GREATER CINCINNATI ON THIS MONDAY MORNING. ON YOUR LEFT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE OHIO RIVER. IT IS EXPECTED TO REACH ITS CREST TODAY AFTER A WEEKEND AND MORE OF NONSTOP RAIN. ON THE RIGHT WE’VE GOT OUR GIACOMO LUCA THERE IN AN URGENT SITUATION UNFOLDING IN PENDLETON COUNTY OVERNIGHT, WHERE WE ARE LEARNING AN OIL SPILL IN THE LICKING RIVER IS COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CAUSED BY THE FLOODING. THE ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT HAS PROMPTED OFFICIALS TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY THERE. SO WE’VE GOT TEAM COVERAGE. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE IMPACTS THIS MORNING, FROM FLOODED NEIGHBORHOODS TO ROAD CLOSURES. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M KELLY RIPPIN AND I’M STEVEN ALBRIGHT. WE’LL GET TO ALL OF THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT WE HAVE TO START WITH METEOROLOGIST RANDI RICO RANDI. THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS TO ALL OF THIS. WE’RE GETTING SOME RELIEF. RELIEF FROM THE RAIN, BUT IT IS CHILLY OUTSIDE AND IT’S GOING TO BE EVEN COLDER TOMORROW MORNING. WE’VE GOT SOME COLD AIR ROLLING IN AFTER ALL OF THE RAIN MOVES OUT. CHECK OUT THE RADAR THIS MORNING. OVER THE LAST 30 MINUTES THERE’S BEEN A COUPLE OF SPRINKLES TRYING TO DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF OWEN COUNTY AND GRANT COUNTY, AND THAT’S KIND OF THE EXTENT OF OUR RAIN CHANCE TODAY. A QUICK SPRINKLE THIS MORNING. A FRONT COMES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND BRINGS US JUST A SMALL LINE OF RAIN SHOWERS. SO NOTHING LIKE THE INUNDATION OF RAIN THAT WE’VE HAD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. AS WE TAKE A WIDER VIEW HERE, YOU CAN SEE A SORT OF STEADY RAIN SHOWERS OVER TOWARD MOREHEAD, KENTUCKY, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT TEMPERATURES THIS MORNING THAT ARE STARTING OUT IN THE 30S, LIKELY TO HEAD UP INTO THE MID 50S. SO WHAT TO EXPECT FOR TODAY? STILL HAVE THE RAIN BOOTS HANDY. THE OHIO RIVER IS CRESTING IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. IT WILL BE A WINDY AND COOLER DAY WITH JUST A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS A REINFORCING COLD FRONT COMES ON INTO THE PICTURE. SO THE OHIO RIVER RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY THE LATEST NUMBER THIS MORNING GOT AN UPDATE. THIS GRAPHIC ABOUT 60.2FT. IT’S EXPECTED TO CREST THIS MORNING AT 60.5FT. SO GOING UP HERE FOR THE NEXT THREE FOUR HOURS STILL AND THEN STAYING IN MODERATE FLOOD STAGE ALL THE WAY IN THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE DROPPING INTO MINOR FLOOD STAGE BY THURSDAY. AS FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS HERE, THINGS ARE QUIET THIS MORNING. IT WILL BE A WINDY AFTERNOON BEFORE A STRAY EVENING SHOWER ROLLS THROUGH. WE’LL GO HOUR BY HOUR THROUGH THAT COMING UP. BUT FLOODING IS A MAJOR CONCERN THIS MORNING. WE’VE ALSO HAD SOME CRASHES. KATIE, WHAT’S THE LATEST ON THE ROADS? YEAH. SO THE LATEST UPDATE ON 75 SOUTHBOUND UP IN MIDDLETOWN. THAT WAS BETWEEN OHIO 123 AND OHIO 122. IT’S BACK OPEN NOW, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LANE BLOCKED FOR AN EARLIER CRASH HERE. THAT CALL CAME IN AROUND 330, SO YOU CAN SEE SOME MINOR SLOWDOWNS WITH THAT AS FOLKS DRIVE SOUTH. WE’LL HEAD SOUTH AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE CLOSURES FOR FLOODING. I MEAN, THERE’S JUST TOO MANY TO GET TO IN ONE HIT. SO WE’LL GIVE YOU SOME UPDATES FROM BLOCK TO BLOCK HERE. BUT THE ROADS GOING TO BE BLOCKED FOR FLOODING ON OHIO AT 221. THAT’S GRANT AVENUE BETWEEN US 52 AND OHIO. 125 AT LONG STRETCH OF PURPLE YOU SEE ON THE MAP THERE. THAT IS THAT CLOSURE FOR SOME FLOODING. WE’VE GOT ONGOING FLOODING CLOSURES HERE ON US 52 FROM HAMILTON STREET TO OLD TOWN ROAD. AND THEN ANOTHER CLOSURE HERE FOR FLOODING ON BRADFORD ROAD BETWEEN KENTUCKY NINE. THAT’S THE AA HIGHWAY AND KENTUCKY EIGHT MORE UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM, I SHOULD SAY. WE’LL TALK ABOUT MORE CLOSURES HERE AND HOW THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT YOUR DRIVE THIS MORNING. KELLY. OKAY. YES, KATIE. WE’LL BE CHECKING BACK IN. SO WITH THE RAIN FINALLY LETTING UP, FLOODING THOUGH REMAINS A BIG PROBLEM FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR AREA IN PENDLETON COUNTY, AN OIL SPILL HAS TRIGGERED AN EMERGENCY, AND CREWS WILL BE OUT THIS MORNING EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THAT. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S RICHARD CHILES IS TRACKING FLOODING IN BELLEVUE, WHILE NICOLE APONTE IS IN NEW RICHMOND, BUT WE DO HAVE TO START WITH GIACOMO LUCA. HE’S NEAR THAT OIL SPILL SITE IN BUTLER, KENTUCKY. GIACOMO. THE THING HERE IS THIS OIL SPILL IS STILL NOT CONTAINED, NOT UNDER CONTROL. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT STEVE. AND OFFICIALS SAID THAT THEY IT WAS JUST TOO BIG TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO IT LAST NIGHT. I WANT TO STEP OUT OF THE SHOT JUST SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT BEHIND US. THIS IS THE HIGH WATER THAT’S REACHED UP INTO ONE OF THE MAIN ROADS HEADING INTO BUTLER, KENTUCKY. THIS SMALL CITY HERE IN PENDLETON COUNTY. IF WE PAN UP TO THAT LOCK ROAD SIGN HERE OFF OF KENTUCKY 177, YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW HIGH THE WATERS REACHED EARLY THIS MORNING. I’M STANDING NEXT TO ANOTHER SIGN THAT’S WELL OVER MY HEAD. SO IF THAT GIVES YOU ANY EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW HIGH THE WATER IS REACHED. MEANWHILE, PENDLETON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SAY THEY LEARNED ABOUT THAT OIL AND DIESEL SPILL LAST NIGHT JUST BEFORE 11:00. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS ALL POURING OUT OF A CAR GARAGE NOW INTO THE LICKING RIVER. OFFICIALS SAY THAT SPILL AGAIN WAS JUST TOO LARGE TO CLEAN UP RIGHT AWAY. SO THEY’VE DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN MONITORING THIS ALL NIGHT UNTIL THEY CAN GET CREWS OUT LATER THIS MORNING TO GET THIS UNDER CONTROL. MEANWHILE, THE CITY OF BUTLER REMAINS INACCESSIBLE SINCE IT JUST YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. AND MEANWHILE, PARTS OF FALMOUTH, THE CITY OF FALMOUTH, ANOTHER SMALL TOWN OF MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE, JUST TO THE SOUTH OF HERE, REMAINS. MANY PARTS OF IT INACCESSIBLE AS WELL. THIS MORNING, BECAUSE OF THOSE RISING WATERS NEAR THE LICKING RIVER. WE’RE LIVE THIS M
Flood alerts: Ohio River to crest Monday morning, catastrophic flooding in Owen County
Updated: 6:12 AM EDT Apr 7, 2025
WLWT News 5 TODAY Meteorologist
The deluge of rain is over, but flooding concerns continue.The Ohio River will crest Monday morning at 60.5 feet, the highest level since 2018. It will take a while to drop back, staying in moderate flood stage through Wednesday night.The Little Miami River crested over the weekend, and is looking much better as we’re waking up Monday.Also cresting over the weekend was the Great Miami River.The Licking at Falmouth crested Sunday and is slowly falling, dropping out of moderate flood stage overnight.The Kentucky River at Lockport is still rising, and will crest likely at the second-highest all-time height of 54.9 feet. This is catastrophic flooding for areas of southern Owen County.
CINCINNATI —The deluge of rain is over, but flooding concerns continue.
The Ohio River will crest Monday morning at 60.5 feet, the highest level since 2018. It will take a while to drop back, staying in moderate flood stage through Wednesday night.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Ohio River crests at Cincinnati this morning.Windy with some passing showers late afternoon/early evening.
Getting really cold (for spring) tonight! #WLWT pic.twitter.com/NWXi7ME8zx
— Randi Rico WLWT (@RandiRicoWLWT) April 7, 2025
The Little Miami River crested over the weekend, and is looking much better as we’re waking up Monday.
Also cresting over the weekend was the Great Miami River.
The Licking at Falmouth crested Sunday and is slowly falling, dropping out of moderate flood stage overnight.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
I don’t think I’ve EVER seen this many closures on my traffic maps. Every single one is flooding or landslide related. ⚠️ Remember, “Turn around, don’t drown” when driving today!
I’m on WLWT through 7am with a preview! pic.twitter.com/FCUCl39mot
— Katie Donovan WLWT (@WxLadyKatie) April 7, 2025
The Kentucky River at Lockport is still rising, and will crest likely at the second-highest all-time height of 54.9 feet. This is catastrophic flooding for areas of southern Owen County.
