Hyde Park businesses and residents hit by back-to-back flooding can now help build the case for city infrastructure fixes by completing a short survey launched July 23, by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council.
HPNC President Valerie Woodham said the council is collecting data on the locations, severity, and frequency of damage from the July 17 and July 21, storms. The council plans to present the findings to City of Cincinnati officials as part of its push for systemic sewer and drainage improvements.
The survey takes three to five minutes, according to the council's announcement posted on its website.
Why it matters for local businesses
The storms forced multiple Hyde Park and Mount Lookout businesses to close temporarily. Neko Sushi owner Yeon Kim told WCPO the July 17 flood was the fifth time her restaurant near Hyde Park Square has flooded since 2018. Dovetale Bakery, which opened in April, closed July 18, for cleanup. Poeme, the stationery shop on Michigan Avenue, took about six inches of water in its basement. Zip's Cafe on Delta Avenue in Mount Lookout closed through the weekend of July 18-19.
Poeme owner Kristen Folzenlogen told WCPO on July 18 that the problem is chronic: "It's a continual problem. Our sewage systems can't handle this type of density in such a short period of time, and I hope the City of Cincinnati starts to pay attention."
Folzenlogen also warned that the flooding issue must be resolved before ground is broken on the planned Hyde Park development near the square.
The scope of the damage
Hyde Park, Oakley, Madisonville, Pleasant Ridge, and Mount Lookout received five to six inches of rain in about an hour on the night of July 17, according to WVXU. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati called it a "1,000-year storm" in a memo published July 21, and received more than 900 reports of sewer backups and basement flooding from that single night.
A second round of storms hit July 21, re-flooding properties already in cleanup. Mayor Aftab Pureval issued a declaration of emergency that evening, in effect through September 15. The city is developing a grant fund for affected residents and businesses, though no dollar amount or application details have been released.
What to do now
The HPNC directed flood-affected residents and businesses to:
- Take the survey at hydepark-cincinnati.org or through the HPNC's Facebook page (CincinnatiHPNC). No deadline has been announced.
- Report sewer backups to MSD 24/7 at 513-352-4900.
- Request a Red Cross flood cleanup kit.
- Report debris or drainage concerns by dialing 311 within Cincinnati or calling 513-765-1212.
The council said the mayor's emergency order positions the city to seek federal assistance and pledged to share details as they become available.
