Heavy rain causes flooding on the Ohio State campus
Wet weather swamps parking lots, roads
The Olentangy River has reached a near record-level high today as rainfall continues over central Ohio. Minor flooding forced road closures and cleanup around the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.
Over the past 24 hours, from Monday to this morning, the Columbus campus area has seen about 3.38 inches of rain, according to the rain gauge at Blankenship Hall. The Olentangy River recorded a water level of 722.46 inches, close to a 50-year record. The 100-year flood stage is 724.4 inches.
The river should begin to drop this afternoon and further recede by Thursday, officials said.
Earlier today, flooding closed parts of Cannon Drive at the Drake Performance and Event Center. The west stadium parking lot at Ohio Stadium also flooded, and the Maintenance Building on Tuttle Park Place was closed due to high water.
Flooding like the kind seen this week is one of the reasons for the university’s Cannon Drive realignment. Phase one of the project, which completed roadway work last year, straightened and elevated Cannon Drive between King Avenue and John Herrick Drive to create 100-year flood protection. A second phase is under design and would extend the certified flood levy north to Woody Hayes Drive to provide 500-year flood protection.
Emergency Management will continue to monitor the Olentangy River throughout this weather event. Follow @OSU_EMFP on Twitter or check emergency.osu.edu for any updates.
Students, faculty and staff can monitor the current campus conditions online. The website includes a live weather camera, updated weather conditions and current forecasts.
Ohio State is a Storm Ready University: https://www.weather.gov/StormReady
