Franklin County was under a Flood Watch from Sunday evening into Monday, Sept. 21, with 1 to 3 inches of rain forecast on already-saturated ground, according to 10TV.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued 259 flash flood warnings across Ohio through Sept. 21. The previous full-year record was 130, set in 2017, according to James Arney of Columbus Navigator, who compiled the data from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet warning archive at Iowa State University.
September alone has produced 60 warnings statewide, shattering the old September high of 11 from 2020. No September in the archive, which dates to 2005, had previously reached a dozen.
August storms closed Hilliard-area roads
The NWS issued flash flood warnings covering Franklin County on July 10, Aug. 11 and Aug. 20, according to Franklin County Emergency Management posts on X.
On Aug. 11, downed trees blocked a train at the Avery Road railroad crossing, closing the crossing, Hilliard police said, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Officers responded to multiple downed trees across the city. Police urged residents to call 911 for major road blockages and the non-emergency line for other storm damage.
On Aug. 20, the Franklin County Engineer closed Hart Road and Stimmel Road between Brown Road and Harmon Avenue due to high water.
Ohio's Controlling Board approved $500,000 in emergency disaster assistance on Sept. 14 for residents in Franklin, Morgan, Muskingum and Perry counties affected by storms from Aug. 10 through Aug. 23, according to 10TV. County job and family services offices were set to reimburse up to $750 to $1,500 in emergency expenses to eligible individuals and families.
Three record-breaking months
Three months of 2026 have individually broken their single-month records. July produced 60 warnings, topping the old mark of 54 from July 2013. August hit 88, nearly tripling the previous high of 31 from 2007. The first six months of the year were comparatively quiet, with each month finishing below its prior high.
The weekend of Sept. 19–20 brought rescues in Pickaway and Hocking counties and forced the evacuation of the Lost Lands music festival in Thornville. The assistant chief of the Laurelville Volunteer Fire Department told NBC4 his crews pulled between 85 and 100 people from first- and second-story rooms. No injuries or deaths were reported from the weekend flooding.
As of Monday morning, flood warnings remained in effect for Athens, Jackson, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Vinton counties. The Vinton County Sheriff's Office dropped its Level 3 road emergency to Level 2, with water still covering some roads.
The NWS Wilmington office, which covers central Ohio, warned that an active weather pattern would keep showers and thunderstorms in the forecast through Tuesday, Sept. 22. Drivers encountering flooded roads should turn around rather than attempt to cross.
