A crash shut down West Broad Street in both directions between Cole Road and Murnan Road on Sunday evening, closing the stretch for about 90 minutes as a second round of severe storms moved through central Ohio.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office first alerted drivers on X around 5:31 p.m. Aug. 16 that the eastbound lane was closed. By 5:57 p.m., the agency upgraded the closure to both directions, confirming a crash caused the shutdown.
The road reopened around 7:05 p.m., but the sheriff's office warned drivers to use caution in the area due to high water on the roadway. Photos posted by the agency showed standing water on West Broad Street at the time.
No crash details have been released. The FCSO has not said how many vehicles were involved, whether anyone was injured or what caused the collision.
Storm context
Sunday's incident came five days after the Aug. 11 derecho that caused widespread damage across Hilliard, including downed trees and power lines and property damage. City crews were still clearing debris as of Aug. 14, according to the city's storm response page.
A second wave of storms hit central Ohio on Sunday. By 1:39 p.m., AEP Ohio reported more than 10,000 customers without power, with Franklin County accounting for 6,199 of those outages, according to 10TV.
The combination of saturated ground and fresh rainfall has left standing water on roads throughout the area. As we reported Aug. 14, the National Weather Service confirmed the Aug. 11 storm produced derecho-strength winds across Hilliard.
What drivers should know
West Broad Street is open but drivers should watch for standing water, particularly between Cole Road and Murnan Road. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office handles this stretch of road. Residents can reach the FCSO non-emergency line at 614-525-3333 or call 911 for emergencies.
