Driving rain soaks area

Mercer and Auglaize counties were under a flash flood warning late Monday night and early Tuesday morning when a quick torrent reportedly drenched some areas with up to 8 inches of rain.

The National Weather Service office in Wilmington sent out an alert at about 10:45 p.m. Monday issuing a flash flood warning for the area until 2:15 a.m. Residents were advised against travel unless they were fleeing a flood-prone area or under an evacuation order.

Some roads in both counties were closed due to high water, with creeks bursting over their banks in some spots and municipal pumps unable to keep up with the large amounts of rain in such a short span. Officials said the water receded quickly after the rain had passed, however, and most roads were back open by daybreak.

Mercer County Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Robbins said different areas of the county got between 3 and 8 inches of rain, with the Coldwater area receiving the most.

Coldwater received about 7 inches of rain, most of it in "a very short period of time," according to village administrator Eric Thomas. The rain seemed to be concentrated in the central and northern parts of town, he continued. Hardin Creek reportedly went over its banks by about 3-4 inches, creating a stream of water about 60 inches wide, though Coldwater Creek and the Bruns-Gerdes Ditch stayed within their banks.

The Coldwater Wastewater Treatment plant was overloaded, and some flooding was also experienced at the plant, Thomas said. Several pieces of equipment, including a pump and an electrical device were reportedly damaged, but village officials hope they will function again after drying out.

Village officials were helping residents dispose of flood-damaged items on Tuesday afternoon, he said.

Two motorists had become stranded in their vehicles due to the water, Coldwater Police Chief Jason Miller said. One incident was near Main and Sixth streets while another was near Plum and Marion drives. Occupants of both vehicles were rescued without injury.

Another trouble spot was near St. Anthony Road after Coldwater Creek jumped its banks and the area began flooding, Robbins said. After the rain stopped around 3 a.m., however, conditions quickly began to improve. The dry weather prior to the deluge, which had lowered the river and lake water levels, likely helped to limit flooding.

His office had received no calls of damage due to the storm, though he guessed some people would likely have water in their basements. The Mercer County Sheriff's Office reported no calls of stranded motorists on county roads.

In Auglaize County, rain amounts ranged from 2.5-7 inches, according to Auglaize EMA Director Troy Anderson. St. Marys, the area of north of St. Marys and the Wapakoneta area received the most rainfall while the southeastern portion of the county received the least.

Some people lost power, and a few motorists became stranded when high water began overtaking the roadways, he said. These motorists also were rescued without injury.

At the start of the rain, the St. Marys and Auglaize rivers had about 1 foot of water, Anderson said. Around noon on Tuesday, both were measuring at about 3-4 feet, but the water was being pushed out quickly. The rivers usually don't spill their banks until they reach about 9 feet of water.

The Auglaize County Sheriff's Office reported no cases of stranded motorists on county roads, but St. Marys Police Chief Jacob Sutton said one of his officers had helped rescue a parent and baby from a vehicle that had become stuck in the area of Spring and Augustus streets. Judging from video of the incident, he estimated the water was a few feet deep.

Water pumps in the city weren't able to keep up with the amount of rain, Sutton continued, and some city streets were closed due to the high water levels. The department did not handle any other weather-related calls, however, and no power outages had been reported, he said.