City Prepares for Forecasted Flooding
Updates as of 4/3/2025

The City of Cincinnati is preparing for additional rainfall and anticipated flooding over the weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch with multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected. The heaviest rain is forecasted for Saturday into Saturday night.

Residents are reminded to exercise caution while driving and to respect road closures when in place. If you come across high water on a road, turn around. Do not drive through flood waters.

Today’s Focus

Preparing for additional rainfall and road closures
Filling sandbags and installing flood gates
Collaborating between departments to utilize all resources in flood response
Monitoring river levels and rainfall through close contact with the National Weather Service
 

Road Closures

Emergency personnel have determined that Kellogg Ave. between Wilmer and Apple Hill will be closed on Saturday, April 5 at 12:00 p.m. Additional road closures may occur depending upon the river level.

 

Cincinnati Parks

Tonight, and into this weekend, all riverfront parks including Smale, Yeatman’s Cove, and Sawyer Point, will become inaccessible because of rapidly rising floodwaters. While we understand the desire to observe and document this flooding, please stay out of the area for your own safety. The area south of Mehring from Central Avenue to the Boathouse will be filled with debris, potentially unsafe water quality, and fast-moving floodwaters. In addition, lighting fixtures have been removed from the area, lowering visibility at night.  

Additionally, California Woods is now closed as floodwater has covered the roadway and made the park inaccessible.

 

Sign up for Emergency Alerts

CincyAlert, powered by Smart911, is the official public alerting and emergency notification system used by the City of Cincinnati. CincyAlert and Smart911, users can choose from different alert categories to keep themselves and their families safe. CincyAlert can notify users via text message and email for most alert categories, as well as phone call notification for urgent emergency alerts. Sign up for CincyAlert and Smart911, and then download the Smart911 app to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts via email, text, or voice message.

Through this same system, you are also able to sign up for alerts issued by the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency. Hamilton County uses the same system to power Alert HC, the county's emergency alert system.

 

Sewer Backup Resources

If you experience a potential sewer backup in your home or business:

You can report a potential sewer backup 24/7 to MSD. You can report a potential sewer backup 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone at (513) 352-4900 or online at msdgc.org/sbu. You must report your backup to MSD within 48 hours of discovery to be potentially eligible for reimbursement of qualifying property damages.
MSD investigates every report of a potential sewer backup to determine whether it’s eligible for assistance through our Sewer Backup (SBU) Program.
MSD provides professional cleaning services at no charge to eligible property owners and tenants.
MSD offers reimbursement for qualifying damages from sewer backups caused by the MSD public sewer. If you intend to submit a claim to MSD for property damage, please thoroughly document damage to your property with photographs and inventory lists.
When a sewer backup or water intrusion is not caused by the MSD public sewer, the property owner is often responsible for the cleanup and/or repairs.
For more information about MSD’s Sewer Backup program, please visit msdgc.org/sbu.

 

Barrier Dam Activation

The Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) and Stormwater Management Utility (SMU) have been diligently monitoring the level of the Ohio River. Based on the latest river forecast that predicts the Ohio River will reach 60 feet on Sunday, GCWW/SMU will activate flood operations at the Mill Creek Barrier Dam facility this evening.

The Barrier Dam and the floodwall/floodgate system were constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1948 to prevent rising water in the Ohio River and tributary flow in the Mill Creek from causing local flooding in the Mill Creek Valley. The Barrier Dam is located at the mouth of the Mill Creek just inland from the Ohio River. During normal conditions on the Ohio River, the Mill Creek flows into the Ohio River through an opening in the Barrier Dam. When the Ohio River approaches flood stage (52 feet), the opening is closed, using a crane to place 14 metal bulkheads weighing 11,000 pounds apiece. Eight pumps inside the Dam, each capable of pumping (1) billion gallons of water per day, pump the flow of the Mill Creek through the Dam to the Ohio River.

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