Hilliard-area residents with pending custody, divorce or juvenile court cases face a one-day disruption: the Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court closed Aug. 17 due to water damage to the courthouse floors.

Court officials said excessive rainfall damaged the floors used by the Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court, leaving the building unable to operate normally, ABC6/WSYX reported. Repair crews planned to address the damage Aug. 16 with the court expecting to reopen for normal business hours Aug. 18.

The closure follows heavy rainfall that hit central Ohio the weekend of Aug. 15-16, days after the Aug. 11 derecho that caused widespread damage across Franklin County. The region was under a flood watch as another round of storms moved through.

Hilliard connection

The court, located at 373 South High St., 4th floor, in Columbus, handles divorce, dissolution, child custody, child support, protection orders and juvenile delinquency cases. Hilliard falls within Franklin County's jurisdiction, meaning local families with active proceedings were directly affected.

Derecho's ongoing toll

The Aug. 11 storm produced wind gusts of 82 mph at John Glenn Columbus International Airport and knocked out power to more than 200,000 customers. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down on Columbus' south side during the same event. One person died.

As we reported Aug. 13, Gov. Mike DeWine amended a state of emergency declaration to include Franklin County. Hilliard, Upper Arlington and multiple Columbus neighborhoods sustained widespread damage.

What to do

The court's normal hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents with questions about rescheduled hearings can call (614) 525-3628 or visit drj.fccourts.org.