What river levels mean to Greater Cincinnati communities
For more than a century, residents of the Ohio River valley have sacrificed blood, sweat and treasure to tame our waterways. Levies, floodgates, dams, locks and bridges are now a major part of the infrastructure. Despite all this, streams and rivers will occasionally flood their banks.
The National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey monitor and make available to the public the water levels of five area rivers and creeks: the Ohio River, the Great Miami River, the Little Miami River, Mill Creek and the Licking River.
The gauges installed in on these rivers send data several times an hour to the weather service, where it is made available online.
However, the numbers and "flood stages" mean little without context. If the Ohio River is 30 feet deep in Cincinnati, everything is fine. If the Little Miami River reaches 30 feet in Milford, the whole town would be under several feet of water.
The Ohio River
The Ohio River is monitored locally on the shores of Cincinnati. Flooding begins in the area when the river reaches 42 feet deep and reaches flood stage at 52 feet.
As the river rises above 42 feet, flooding begins near Coney Island and the Riverbend Music Center in Anderson Township, as well as the Cincinnati neighborhoods of California and East End.
The flooding remains contained to the far east side of Cincinnati covering Eldorado Street, River Road, and Kellogg, Delta and Humbert avenues as the river rises to 50 feet. Most of the public landing and Smale Riverside Park will also flood at this river level.
When the river goes over 52 feet, the Covington Landing and nearby Riverside Drive will flood. In Ohio, high water will spread to Anderson Township and New Richmond in Clermont County. Backwater flooding at Laughery Creek will also affect Dearborn and Ohio counties in Indiana.
At 60 feet, the Ohio River will have caused sections of U.S. 52 in Ohio to be flooded. In Kentucky, Newport will begin to see high water. Backwater flooding will also affect low-lying areas around any tributaries that feed the Ohio. At this level, many homes and business will see water inside the structures.
At 70 feet, the river is now at FEMA 1 percent flood swamping anything south of Fort Washington Way Downtown. Anything south of U.S. 50 downstream of Cincinnati would also be underwater. In Kentucky, any properties between Ky. 8 and the river would be in danger. In Indiana, any unprotected areas from Ind. 56 to the river would be inundated, including much of Aurora.
At 76 feet, hundreds of home and businesses would be flooded in Hamilton and Clermont counties in Ohio and Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky.
If the river were to ever reach 80 feet, it would be a record-breaking flood. Thousands of people would need to be evacuated.
The Great Miami River
The Great Miami River is monitored at several points as it travels from Middletown to Hamilton and then through the western portion of Hamilton County. The river varies greatly in depth along its length.
In Butler County, communities north and south of Hamilton such as Ross and New Miami, where the river is deep, flooding would begin when the water reaches 74 feet.
Flooding in those areas could reach severe levels before Hamilton itself is affected. Hamilton is protected by levees and floodwalls until the river reaches 90 feet. However, if water tops those barriers, much of the city will be underwater.
Further south in Hamilton County, the river is monitored in Miamitown, where it is much shallower. Flooding in low lying areas near U.S. 50 and Miamiville Road begins when the river reaches 16 feet.
At 21 feet, the flooding would overtake many of the communities along the river between New Baltimore and Cleves.
More of Miamitown and surrounding areas would be affected until the water reached 33 feet, when the Taylor Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant would be flooded.
The flooding would reach a FEMA 1 percent level when the river gets to 35.5 feet deep. At this point, River and Blue Rock roads, Hamilton-Cleves Pike and East Miami River Road are flooded, and about 20 percent of Cleves is underwater.
The Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is monitored in Kings Mills in Warren County and further south where the river forks in Milford and Perintown.
In Kings Mills, the river level is often below 10 feet. Flooding there begins when the river reaches 17 feet. Rising water first affects South Lebanon and Foster and area along Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Road.
At 20 feet, the water would reach Turtle Creek. At 25 feet, South Lebanon will begin to see serious flooding in homes and Kings Mills Road would likely close due to high water.
About one-third of South Lebanon would be covered at water levels of 33 feet. Moderate flooding would also occur in Morrow.
Downstream, flooding begins at similar levels. When the river reaches 20 feet, Milford and the Round Bottom Road area of Anderson Township would see significant flooding.
At 30.5 feet, the flooding would match records set in 1913. The water would be several feet deep throughout much of Milford.
Mill Creek runs along Interstate 75 and is monitored in Evendale. The water levels here are typically below 10 feet.
Flooding on the Mill Creek wouldn't reach homes or business or roads until waters reach 13 feet.
Canal Road near the UPS facility and Kemper and Mosteller roads would see high water first. At 16 feet, the waters would be up to 3-feet high in these areas and Evendale would begin to see flooding.
The Licking River
The Licking River runs north through Pendleton County and marks the boundary between Kenton and Campbell counties. It's monitored in Falmouth where river depths typically run under 10 feet.
Flooding will begin in Falmouth when the river reaches 28 feet. When the river reaches 40 feet, much of the town near the river will be flooded.
The river is also filled by backwater flooding when the Ohio River rises. These effects become serious when the Ohio River reaches 60 feet.
At 48.5 feet, the Licking River is considered to be experiencing a FEMA 1 percent flood. At this level, parts of Falmouth are under three to five feet of water and the flooding reaches the downtown area.
During the record-breaking flood of 1997, the river reached nearly 52 feet. About 80 percent of the area of Falmouth was underwater as deep as 10 feet. Much of Kentucky 27 and 22 were flooded out.