Four days after flash floods swamped Camberwell Road in Oakley, residents are hauling ruined furniture, clothes, and appliances to the curb in a race against more severe weather forecast for Tuesday, July 21.
Retired homeowner Anatasia Afanasieva stood beside a neighbor's car caked with mud nearly to the roof on Monday, July 20. Her own car, equally destroyed, had already been towed. Inside her basement, a layer of mud and sewage coated everything: a ruined washer, dryer, and years of belongings.
"Water, furnace, money, money, money," Afanasieva said, shaking her head.
Down the block, Rachel Kramier pulled clothes from her flooded basement and hung them on trees to dry. She told WCPO the Friday, July 17 storm didn't seem unusual at first.
"It seemed like a normal storm, and then I saw my neighbor across the street running down the street shirtless, and I said, okay, I need to check the basement," Kramier said.
Even residents living 20 feet uphill from the lowest-lying properties were not spared.
Local hauler offers services at cost
On nearby Brotherton Road, Josh McCarthy, owner of Hee Hauling Junk Removal, was helping flood victims clear out valuables, photos, and waterlogged possessions on Monday. McCarthy said he is charging only the cost of business while recovery continues.
When asked whether people were rushing to prepare for Tuesday's weather, McCarthy told WCPO his phone was "ringing off the hook." He can be reached at 513-546-0347 or through the company's Facebook page.
More than 900 sewer backup reports
The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati had received more than 900 reports of sewer backups and basement flooding as of Monday, July 20, according to WVXU. MSD Director Diana Christy said crews are working overtime to complete inspections and urged residents to begin cleanup immediately because floodwater is contaminated and destructive.
Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long said the city's Department of Public Services is deploying roll-off debris containers, with the first stationed at 4420 Camberwell Road. Priority cleanup is focused on Hyde Park, Oakley, Madisonville, and California.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Julie Dian-Reed warned that Tuesday, July 21 could bring repeated rounds of storms and possible flooding, though damaging wind is the primary threat. She said the NWS cannot pinpoint specific flood locations in advance.
What residents can do
The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council urged flood-affected residents to file a claim with MSD's Sewer Backup Program. Claims can be filed online at msdgc.org or by calling 513-352-4900.
Residents can also report debris, blocked roadways, or drainage concerns by calling 311 within city limits, 513-765-1212 outside city limits, or using 311cincy.org.
Mayor Aftab Pureval is expected to join cleanup efforts in affected neighborhoods Tuesday afternoon, according to WLWT.
