Yeon Kim was still mopping out Neko Sushi in Hyde Park Square when the second round of floodwaters arrived Tuesday. It was the fifth time her restaurant has flooded since 2018.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval issued a declaration of emergency Tuesday night, July 21, after two storms in five days dumped historic rainfall on Hyde Park, Oakley, and Mount Lookout. The declaration allows the city to pursue state and federal funding to help more than two dozen businesses and homes affected by what the city classified as a 1,000-year storm, according to WLWT.
What fell from the sky
The National Weather Service recorded 4 to 5 inches of rain across eastern Cincinnati on Friday, July 17. Gauge readings in Oakley showed more than 6 inches in a little over an hour, according to data submitted to the NWS. City Manager Sheryl Long's office classified the Friday downpour as a 1,000-year storm, meaning it exceeded the roughly 3.5 inches per hour that qualifies for that designation. The previous daily rainfall record for the Cincinnati area was 5.2 inches, set March 9, 1964.
Tuesday's storms added another 1.5 inches in Oakley and Madisonville and about 2 inches in Linwood, according to the National Weather Service.
The damage on the ground
Hyde Park residents told WCPO it took just 20 to 30 minutes for Friday's downpour to become a serious flood threat. Floodwaters covered roads in front of businesses in Hyde Park Square both Friday and Tuesday.
In Oakley, Linda Rassel lost her HVAC system, washer, dryer, and everything stored in her basement. "We've lost our HVAC system. We've lost the washer and dryer, anything and everything that was in the basement. I mean, it's gone," Rassel told WLWT on Sunday, July 20.
Zip's Cafe in Mount Lookout, which celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year, closed through the weekend after Friday's flooding. The restaurant posted on Facebook that staff had done extensive work to protect the building but that "it just wasn't enough for that storm."
On Madison Road, Mark Fisk, owner of Mainly Art Vintage Furniture, said he never bought flood insurance in 19 years because city officials assured him the Duck Creek flood wall would prevent flooding.
Restoration company Teasdale Fenton had crews on Allendale Drive in Oakley on Tuesday, gutting apartment units that took more than five feet of water Friday and then flooded again.
Duck Creek floodgate failure
City officials confirmed Monday, July 20, that the Duck Creek floodgate on Madison Road did not close during Friday's storm, according to WVXU. Both the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are investigating why. During Tuesday's storms, the floodgate was closed.
John Barton, principal engineer at the Metropolitan Sewer District, described the Friday event as a "1,000-yr storm" and pointed to a possible urban heat-island effect that concentrated intense rainfall over the Duck Creek corridor.
The MSD has received more than 900 reports of sewer backups and basement flooding from Friday alone.
What residents should do
The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council urged residents to file a claim with MSD's Sewer Backup Program within 48 hours of flooding so MSD can investigate. File online at msdgc.org/sbu or call 513-352-4900.
The city deployed roll-off debris containers starting at 4420 Camberwell Road in Hyde Park. Residents can report debris, blocked roadways, or drainage problems by calling 311 within city limits, 513-765-1212 outside city limits, or using 311cincy.org and the 311 Cincy mobile app.
MSD Director Diana Christy said Monday, July 20, that crews were working overtime and urged residents to treat any floodwater that entered their buildings as contaminated, whether it came from sewers or rushed in as stormwater.
Most standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding. Residents should check whether they carry a separate flood insurance policy.
What's next
The emergency declaration enables the city to apply for state and federal assistance. No specific dollar amounts have been announced. The fire department and MSD are still conducting damage assessments, and the Duck Creek floodgate investigation remains ongoing with no public timeline for results.
