Cincinnati's East Side received 21.95 inches of rain in June and July combined, the most in any two-month stretch since the National Weather Service began tracking rainfall at Lunken Airport in 1948.

The data, published by WLWT on Sunday, August 2, gives Hyde Park, Oakley, and Fairfax residents a hard number for what they endured this summer: nearly 22 inches of rain in 61 days, measured at the only NWS station on the East Side.

June alone produced 11.77 inches, the single wettest month in 78 years of Lunken records. That broke the previous record of 11.07 inches set in March 1964. July added 10.18 inches, ranking ninth all-time. No two months in the top-10 rainiest list had ever occurred back-to-back before.

Pureval calls it 'the new normal'

Mayor Aftab Pureval, responding to a WLWT question about the July 21 flooding that devastated Hyde Park and Oakley, called the pattern unmistakable.

"They're not even hundred-year storms anymore," Pureval said on July 28. "They're happening year after year after year. It's no longer an anomaly. There's a very, very clear data record showing that this is not an anomaly. This is, unfortunately, the new normal."

Pureval said the city needs to invest in infrastructure that can withstand heavier rainfall and pledged to work with public and private partners to help residents recover. On July 25, he announced a $1-million city fund to cover damage from sewer backups, coordinated with the Metropolitan Sewer District's existing backup program.

What comes next

Councilman Mark Jeffreys filed a motion on July 28 calling for a 30-day after-action review of the city's flood response and a 60-day study of near-term fixes including retention ponds, permeable pavement, and bioswales. The motion also asks the city to reconsider replacing the Madison Road Bridge over Duck Creek. The city has already budgeted $500,000 for the Mill Creek Watershed as part of near-term stormwater work, according to Fox 19.

Cincinnati City Council's Climate, City Services, and Infrastructure Committee meets Tuesday, August 4 at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 801 Plum St. The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council is urging residents and business owners to attend. Speakers must arrive early to sign up and are limited to two minutes.