UPDATE: 1:15 p.m.: Approximately 30 Hebron residents were being evacuated from the Greenbriar Village neighborhood. Power to the neighborhood was cut, leaving remaining residents without power indefinitely. While the worst of the flooding is over across most of the county, village officials in Hebron and Buckeye Lake remain concerned about swells throughout the day as water moves downstream from Pataskala.
UPDATE, 9:57 a.m.: Southwest Licking, Lakewood and Licking Heights schools are closed on Aug. 20. Hebron officials assessing whether to require evacuation of the Greenbriar Village neighborhood. Buckeye Lake mayor expects it will get worse before it gets better as water flows that direction from Pataskala.
Heavy rain overnight on Aug. 19 in Licking County flooded roadways and basements, prompting water rescues in the Pataskala area, evacuations in Hebron and some school districts to cancel or delay the start of classes.
Early on Thursday, Aug. 20, roadways were continuing to flood. The flooding happened after another round of relentless rainfall that dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of Licking County in less that two weeks.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning until 7:45 a.m. for Licking County, saying “this is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”
Southwest Licking, Lakewood and Licking Heights schools are closed today, and Licking Valley, and Granville school districts all are on a two-hour delay because of flooded roadways.
Hebron Mayor Valerie Mockus told The Reporting Project Thursday morning that flooding from the South Fork of the Licking River and tributaries in the Hebron and Buckeye Lake region is “the worst I’ve seen as mayor.”
She said that some families have voluntarily evacuated the Greenbriar Village mobile home park in Hebron, and emergency management officials are assessing whether to issue a mandatory evacuation order.
Hebron Village Administrator Brittany Misner was assisting in evacuations at Greenbriar Village, and said approximately 30 residents opted to evacuate after power was cut to the mobile home park. Misner said that businesses have “rallied” around the community, dropping off donations for residents without power indefinitely.
Mockus also said that neighbors are helping neighbors – both individuals and communities. “Residents are helping each other, like with sump pumps, which is great to see,” she said. “And we and Buckeye Lake ran out of ‘road closed’ signs, so Thornville loaned signs to each of us.”
Buckeye Lake Mayor Linda Goodman said Thursday morning that she had just been out with the village public works superintendent to survey the situation.
“We have a couple of roads shut down,” she said. “We’re taking on water down by Buckeye Lake Estates and the KOA campground, which are always among the first to flood. … We’re not in any evacuation mode right now, but stream gauges indicate we’re likely to see more flooding later today. We take on water from the Pataskala area, so it’s often several hours before we see that.”
She said she expects that the freeway ramps from eastbound I-70 to Rt. 79 and from Rt. 79 to westbound I-70 will close again later today. They were closed on Monday by flooding from earlier rounds of rain.
The weather service issued a flood warning for the South Fork of the Licking River until this evening, Aug. 20.
“The river is expected to rise above flood stage this morning to a crest of 11.6 feet this afternoon,” the weather service reported. “It will then fall below flood stage late this afternoon.”
When that happens, the weather service reported, “at 11.5 feet, backwater flooding begins near the Greenbriar Village Mobile Home Park, with water approaching the yards behind homes along Greenbriar Lane East. Water also covers much of Ridgely Tract Road between Route 79 and the South Fork,covering yards and surrounding two homes in this area.”
In Pataskala, Mayor Mike Compton posted this Facebook message:
“Attention please. Do not go out if you absolutely do not have to. Schools on a two hour delay. Almost all thru roads in Pataskala are dangerously under water. Hopefully this will subside soon as per radar, hopefully it will be light enough soon to see better at what we are up against. I’m advising anyone who may feel they are in danger with the rising water to call the Fire department.”
The Licking County Sheriff’s office posted on Facebook this morning that “significant rainfall has occurred overnight in Southwestern Licking County, extending from the Pataskala/Etna area east to the Buckeye Lake Region. Some water rescues are underway in the area. Drive with caution staying alert for flooded roadways.”
The sheriff reported that the following roads are closed, and noted that it likely is not a complete list, because “conditions are changing rapidly.”
- Columbia Road SW and Broad Street SW in Pataskala
- Columbus Road and Zachary Road
- Beecher and Twenty Grand
- E. Broad and Taylor
- Etna Parkway
- Outville and Beecher roads
- Beaver Run and Canyon Road.
- York road between Zellars and Refugee
Julia Lerner contributed to this story. Lerner and Alan Miller write for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.