4/1/2024
WT Staff
HAPPENING NOW
Twelve stations running high
NWS: Ohio flood watch 2 pm today to Tuesday night
Water news for Monday, April 1, 2024 update 336 pm EDT
National Weather Service Hazardous Weather Outlook issued 416 am EDT April 1
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Multiple rounds of showers and storms are expected through Tuesday evening. Each round of storms will have the potential to produce heavy rain, with a cumulative effect evolving to create increasing potential for excessive runoff with each successive round of storms. The main time frame for heavy rain and flooding will likely be this evening through Tuesday. Total rainfall through Tuesday evening will likely be 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.
People in the watch area, especially those living in areas prone to
flooding, should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. Monitor the latest forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings.
Impacting Darke-Miami-Champaign-Clark-Madison-Franklin-Licking-Preble-Montgomery-Greene-Fayette-Pickaway-Fairfield-Butler-Warren-Clinton-Ross-Hocking-Hamilton-Clermont-Brown-Highland-Adams-Pike- Scioto Counties
Streamflow Situation provisional data supplied by USGS
Streamflows in south central and southwest Ohio are running high Monday afternoon with successive rounds of storms expected to strike with heavy rain today and tomorrow. The first flood breach was recorded this morning near Granville, Raccoon Creek has since tucked back into the channel. Chief Hydrologist for Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio says a crew is out measuring and validating the provisional data flood flows. Licking River watershed is particularly hard hit, this is where the Raccoon Creek flood was picked up by streamflow sensors this morning. As of this update, Raccoon Creek is no longer above flood stage, twelve stations record 99th percentile flow volumes in a band running west to east through Central Ohio. More to follow.
Drought Map USGS 7-day average streamflow against seasonal average
The drought map has shifted overnight, Blanchard River has stepped down from extreme drought to below normal. Severe drought remains on Auglaize and Upper Wabash watersheds in the Lake Erie drainage area with Ohio River minor tributaries Raccoon-Symmes watershed in the south staying in severe hydrologic drought also. Much of Lake Erie west drainage basin remains at the moderate drought rating Monday, with St Josephs, Blanchard, Sandusky and Huron-Vermilion rated below normal. The east side is off the drought map, including most of Muskingum River Basin and the Upper Ohio minor tributries down to Raccoon-Symmes watershed in the south at Lawrence and Gallia Counties, rated severe drought. Walhonding River watershed remains the lone occupant of the drought map for the Muskingum basin Monday, still rated below normal. Scioto and Great Miami basins are still rated mostly below normal, each having an area of moderate drought: Paint Creek in Scioto basin and Lower Great Miami for the Miami basin. Watch the drought map changes as the rains fall over the next two days.
Flood Tracker provisional data from USGS streamflow monitors
Twenty-six streamflow gauges record flooding in the USA Monday afternoon, down from twenty-nine this morning. WT tracks the nation's most common natural disaster dynamics through New York, Ohio, Georgia and Louisiana. As of this report, nine monitors indicate active flooding; 5 in Georgia and 4 in Louisiana.
Current streamflow map signals twelve high flows with the flood watch in effect until tomorrow evening. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are forecast for afternoon and evening Monday into Tuesday. More to follow.
See black tags on the map for active flood, blue for high flow, 99th percentile or more.
New York State streamflows dip below normal Monday in Lower Hudson and Delaware River watersheds, as Chemung and Susquehanna watersheds drop further below normal, very few normal rated flows remain in the west interior, trending to much below seasonal normal values. Just two stations register flows above 90th percentile Monday, one in the Upper Hudson watershed and one on Long Island. Moderate hydrologic drought remains on Alleghany River watershed in the southwest with Oswego River - Finger Lakes, Chemung and Genesee Rivers watersheds remaining below normal on the drought map Monday.
In Louisiana, provisional data has Calcasieu River flowing half a foot above flood stage overnight near Glenmora. Could this be an April Fools Day trick? According to the flow volume plotted against time graph, flood stage was breached at midnight. We will verify this information with USGS and update here. In Region 1 northwest LA, Bayou Bodcau shows itself five and three quarter feet above flood stage near Shreveport. Pearl River on the east state border runs two feet over flood stage near Bogalusa in Washington Parish and a foot over at downstream Town of Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish.
Georgia, Day 26: Gulf of Mexico basin Ochlockonee River stopped flooding near Concord, Florida yesterday just before 5 pm, currently running a couple of inches under flood stage. Suwannee River tributary Withlachoochee River tucked back into the channel at Skipper Bridge Road near Bemiss around 5 am this morning. On the Atlantic side of the drainage divide, Altamaha and tributary Ohoopee Rivers are still flooding near Baxley and Reidsville respectively. Savannah River is still flooding two feet three inches over near Cylo and the Little Satilla and Satilla Rivers are still flooding nine inches over and two feet over flood stage near Offerman and Atkinson, respectively.
Hazardous Spills
4500 gallons of fertilizer reported spilled March 28 in St Mary's Township of Auglaize County. This spill occured in the Maumee watershed during the critical condition for the Lake Erie HAB, this is the period where legacy phosphate and nutrients applied to farm fields via manure application and commercial fertilizer are most mobile and can impact the intensity of HABs in Lake Erie. In the latest image from HAB satellite monitoring program of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, March 29, no HAB activity was visible. More to follow.
Spills in Ohio are reported to the 24 hour emergency spill hotline with response handled by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 24/7 at 1-800-282-9378 or 614-224-0946. Anyone with knowledge of a spill of hazardous material is to make a report. Refer to the Spill button to the right of the map for more details on the latest incidents reported to OEPA.
Drinking Water Advisories
Jefferson County: The Village of Rayland came under a BWA after a water main break at Adams Lane and State Route 150. The Village of Rayland water system serves a population of 417 residents from a groundwater purchased source.
Lucas County: A portion of the village of Whitehouse was under a boil advisory after a water main break at Waterville Street and Pelton Drive. Whitehouse Village water system serves 5200 residents from surface water purchased.
See yellow tags on the map for more boil water advisories.
Harmful Algal Blooms - Lake Erie HAB from National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) satellite monitoring program
Ohio EPA cites spring rains as the main factor contributing to the growth of the Lake Erie HAB for the 2024 season. Rainfall during the critical condition stage March 1 to July 31 dislodges soluble phosphate from fields and streambanks into the Lake Erie west basin. In lock-step with the level of dissolved phosphate in the relatively shallow basin grows the ancient HAB mass, capable of producing toxins tainting the drinking water supply for three million Ohio residents. The spring season has been dry until today, rain expected to mobilize nutrients, see also a 4500 gallon fertilizer spill within the Maumee River watershed area.
The latest satellite image supplied by the NCCOS was captured March 31 at surface wind speed 14.9 mph. The image is heavily cloud obscured. A previous image obtained March 29 gives a clear view of Lake Erie, captured at surface wind speed 6.6 mph. No sign of HAB detected along the shorelines or open water. The prior image of March 25 showed widespread HAB approximately 5 nm off shore from Vermilion-on-the-Lake, moderate concentration, 100 thousand cells per 100 ml or less.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
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