Rain totals rising up to historic level

CELINA - Rainfall levels not seen in decades have accumulated in Celina over the past two months, local weatherman Dennis Howick said.

Celina residents in May endured rain accumulating to 7.28 inches, well above the 2.5-inch average, he said. Heavy rainfall has continued this month, having reached 3.99 inches so far, nearing the average of 4.07 inches for the entire month. However, he noted that other area locations had received much more rain this month than he had measured in northeastern Mercer County.   

Howick said he cannot remember rainfall levels like this since 1981. Rain has been accumulating at above-average rates since October.

Thanks to a short reprieve on Friday, Grand Lake and Beaver Creek have leveled off and are beginning to recede, Mercer County Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Robbins said.

Rainfall totals from Wednesday's storm varied from place to place, he added, noting some areas in the southern Grand Lake region were hit with upward of 5 inches.  

The sporadic rainfall caused water to collect in places he can't remember having been flooded before, as high water still stands on some major roadways.

He doesn't know when all roadways will reopen but hopes they will within the next day or so. Several motorists have driven around road closed and high water signs and attempted to drive through high water, only to get stuck, Celina Fire Lt. John Schumm said.

Since Wednesday's storm, he said the department has responded to six reports of vehicles stranded in high water. Three vehicles were stranded on Burkettsville-St. Henry road, where Beaver Creek flooded the roadway.

Beaver Creek flooding left two other vehicles stranded on Fleetfoot Road and another car near Schunck and Meyer roads, he added. Rescues have also occurred in St. Henry and Montezuma.

No motorists were injured, he said, and stressed "if you see the sign, don't just go around it." Although no one was injured, he said currents can be strong enough to sweep away vehicles into a field or ditch.

Montezuma Fire Chief Lee Bruns described the event as the worst flooding he has seen in a while. By Friday, however, the flooding had abated as water levels in Grand Lake's tributaries keeps receding.

A flood warning from the National Weather Service has been extended for Mercer and Auglaize counties until 1:45 p.m. today with more rain predicted for today and Sunday, according to Howick.

"It could flood again, it just depends on where the rain falls and how much we get," Robbins said.