Flooded In!

Today I am home, flooded in, literally. It keeps raining here and doesn't look like it is going to stop. Our yard looks like a pond and Ottawa, Columbus Grove, Pandora & Ottoville are all under water.

After getting ready for work, Aaron tells me he'd rather me stay home, and that is not like him... so I call my office manager and told him unless he absolutely needed me I would rather not chance it. Another co-worker called and re-asured me that my decision was good... water everywhere in Findlay.

My brother left the jail at 7 am and tried to go back to his apt. in Findlay and had to turn around, he couldn't find one way to get into Findlay. He said it is terrible. He also told me that if on the roadways they will either give you a ticket or arrest you. Since working for the jail/sherriff... he knows these things.

Ottawa is under a Level 3 as is Findlay. Looks like I'll have a spot less house today!

Aaron has no way of getting Lima, he is home today too. Unless going through Ft. Wayne, he is stuck as well.

More rain on its way and it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

"FORECAST FLOODING INCREASED FROM MODERATE TO MAJOR SEVERITY... THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE BLANCHARD RIVER AT OTTAWA * UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED. * AT 8 AM WEDNESDAY THE STAGE WAS 29.5 FEET AND RISING. * MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 23.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL RISE TO CREST NEAR 30.0 FEET AROUND 8 PM WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22 AND FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE AROUND 7 PM FRIDAY AUGUST 24. * AT 29.0 FEET...WIDESPREAD MAJOR FLOODING OCCURS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN OTTAWA. "

"FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL OHIO... NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...ASHLAND...CRAWFORD...ERIE OH... URON...KNOX...LORAIN...MARION...MORROW AND RICHLAND. IN NORTHEAST OHIO...CUYAHOGA...HOLMES...MEDINA...STARK...SUMMIT AND WAYNE. IN NORTHWEST OHIO...HANCOCK...LUCAS...OTTAWA... SANDUSKY...SENECA...WOOD AND WYANDOT. * UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING * SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN OHIO LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AND HOUR. THIS RAINFALL WILL FALL ON TOP OF ALREADY SATURATED GROUND CAUSING RAPID RISES IN CREEKS...STREAMS AND URBAN AREAS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING EXISTS ALONG RIVERS AND CREEKS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES. "

FINDLAY -- The flooding could get worse before it gets better in Findlay. The Blanchard River rose several more inches overnight, and is not expected to crest until sometime Wednesday morning. Findlay Mayor Tony Iriti has declared a state of emergency for his city.
A storm system dropped as much as 9 inches of rain on northwest Ohio on Monday. By Tuesday morning, water started inching up in counties south of Toledo. Hancock County was one of the hardest-hit, with widespread flooding in Findlay and other cities to the south.
The National Weather Service predicts the river will crest sometime Wednesday at 17.01 feet (or 775.11 feet above sea level). If that was the case, this flood would be comparable to the 1981 flood, which was considered a 100-year flood. The river crested in 1981 at 17.43 feet. Thirteen feet is considered "major flood stage."

Video from Findlay's main downtown area on Wednesday morning shows widespread flooding. Police say there's as much as 5 feet of water covering most streets in downtown for the three blocks either side of the Blanchard River. We're told there are no river crossings available in Findlay. The only way to get across the river is by Interstate 75.

Findlay's state of emergency means the only emergency vehicles should be on the road, and other people out driving on the flooded roads could be ticketed.

Firefighters and water rescue teams have been working all night to pluck people from their flooded homes. Some people are sandbagging, trying to keep the water out of their homes and businesses. "You can't do nothing with Mother Nature," said Michael Evanoff, a business owner. "I said, 'Open the door, and let it run through,' and hope it doesn't do a lot of damage."
Flood waters have filled Evanoff's shop three times in the past year. "We just start putting up. We make sure everything's about waist-high, and hope it doesn't get any deeper than that."
The flooding has caused some closures in the Findlay area:
Marathon Findlay office complex is closed Wednesday, and the company says employees should not report to work.

In-service and training has been canceled on Wednesday for Findlay City Schools. Employees with Findlay Schools should not come to work unless you are contacted directly.
Owens Community College Findlay Campus is closed Wednesday.
The Conine family is trying to pump the water out of their Findlay home. It was scary for Bill Conine because at one point, the water from a nearby pond was rushing from basement windows, and filling up the home.

With furniture floating, the family grabbed everything they could, and tried to start bailing with buckets. It was a losing battle. "You reach a point where you feel absolutely helpless because the water is coming in so fast that it's overwhelming," said Bill Conine. "By the time the water was basically up to my neck, we said, 'That's enough, it's time to get out.'"

The Hancock County chapter of the American Red Cross has set up two shelters:
St. Andrew's United Methodist Church120 W. Sandusky St.Findlay
Arlington High School336 S. Main St.Arlington
Count on News 11 to follow this story as it develops.