After nearly a week of high winds, tornadoes, torrential rains, river levels are rising.
The National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey monitor the water levels of five area rivers and creeks: the Ohio River, the Great Miami River, the Little Miami River, Mill Creek, and the Licking River.
These rivers and creeks have gauges that track data and current water levels several times an hour, which is available to see online. The data also warns of current or potential flood stages in different areas.
In addition, the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office monitors the Ohio River at five points: Portsmouth, Maysville, Meldahl Dam, Cincinnati and Markland Lower.
Here’s the levels of the rivers locally, and what high water and floods could mean for the homes, businesses and residents nearby.
What is the Ohio River level in Cincinnati?
The Ohio River is set to crest at just above 60 feet on Monday, bringing the possibility of more flooding in communities along the river, according to the Office of Water Prediction.
The Ohio River’s level is monitored from the Roebling Bridge near downtown Cincinnati. The river’s action stage is at 40 feet, when flooding begins. The flood stage is reached at 52 feet.
At 42 feet, flooding encroaches Riverbend Music Center. At 52 feet, increasing sections of Kellogg Avenue from east of Delta Avenue upstream to near Coney Island and Eight Mile Road are flooded, as well as parts of Humbert Avenue in Cincinnati’s East End. Most of Public Landing is flooded, as well as Riverside Park off of River Road.
List: See which roads are closed due to flooding in the area
By 60 feet, forecasters say residents should expect significant flooding in East End, California and New Richmond, Ohio, as well as backwater floods in Silver Grove, Kentucky, and riverfront buildings flooded in Aurora, Indiana.
Stretches of U.S. Route 52 are expected to become flooded, along with additional low-lying roads near the river, and backwater flooding is expected along the Little Miami, Great Miami and Licking rivers, forecasters said. The main levels of homes in the East End could also become flooded.
The last time the river experienced a crest of 60 feet was in February 2018. On Saturday, the Ohio Department of Transportation started installing 15 floodgates at the Riverfront Transit Center under Second Street to prevent the river from spilling onto Fort Washington Way.
The moderate flood stage begins at 56 feet, and the major flood stage begins at 65 feet. However, the NWS states that the river level is supposed to fall below the flood stage by Friday.
Great Miami River flood levels
The Great Miami River is monitored at several points as it travels from Middletown to Hamilton and through western Hamilton County. The river’s depth can vary greatly based on the location.
At Hamilton, the action stage begins at 73 feet and the flood stage is at 75 feet. The river rose to 73.5 feet on Saturday morning, but has since fallen to 72.4 feet on Monday morning. The river level will continue to fall throughout the week, eventually hitting 66.4 by Saturday.
The river is also monitored in Miamitown, where it is much shallower. There, the action stage begins at 14 feet, and the flood stage is 16 feet. The river level rose to 23.26 feet on Saturday, but has since fallen to 20 feet on Monday morning.
At 20 feet, flooding occurs along Harrison Avenue east of the river, as well as Riverfront West Softball Park. Flooding also occurs downstream of Miamitown in Miami and Whitewater Townships. Depending on river crests coming down the Whitewater River, Lawrenceburg Road may flood between Miamiview Road and U.S. 50, and between Suspension Bridge Road and Stephens Road.
Little Miami River flood levels
The Little Miami River is monitored at several points: Milford, Perintown and near South Lebanon in Warren County.
In South Lebanon, the flood action stage begins at 15 feet, and the flood stage begins at 19 feet. The river is currently below the action stage at 13.9 feet as of Monday morning, but reached up to 18.55 feet on Sunday.
In Perintown, the flood action stage begins at 17 feet, and the flood stage begins at 19 feet. The river is currently below the action stage at 15.7 feet as of Monday morning, and will drop to 5.8 feet by Friday afternoon.
In Milford, the flood action stage begins at 13 feet, and the flood stage begins at 17 feet. The river is currently below the action stage at 12 feet as of Monday morning, but rose to 15.66 feet on Friday.
Mill Creek flood levels
The water level for Mill Creek at Evendale is often under eight feet. The action stage begins at nine feet; the minor flooding stage at 12 feet and the moderate flooding stage at 14 feet.
The river level is currently at 7.49 feet but rose to 11.42 feet on Friday. At 12 feet, lowland flooding of the Mill Creek floodplain occurs, with water approaching some buildings along the creek.
Licking River flood levels
The Licking River is monitored in Falmouth, where the depth is typically under 10 feet. It runs north through Pendleton County as the boundary between Kenton and Campbell counties.
The river’s action stage begins at 23 feet, at which point low-lying areas along the river near Falmouth begin to flood, including Max Goldberg Park. The flood stage begins at 33 feet, where basement flooding will begin along Water Street in Falmouth, and flooding begins along a low area of Route 22. Lowland flooding will be expected in Butler and Falmouth.
The river level is currently at 37.6 feet, which is considered the moderate flood stage. This is when flooding of low-lying streets near the river in Falmouth will worsen, and flooding will be the worst along Kentucky 22, east of Falmouth. By 38 feet, Main Street will begin to flood near the river. Flooding along Shelby Street and State Route 22 east of Falmouth will worsen. Flooding will also begin along Riggs Street.
What does it mean when a river crests?
A “crest” is the highest level or elevation of a river during a specified storm event, per the NWS. In other words, it is the highest level at which a river rises before it goes down.
When will the Ohio River crest in Cincinnati?
The Ohio River is set to crest at just above 60 feet on Monday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will the Ohio River crest in Cincinnati? See flooding impacts