BELLVILLE — Nearly three inches of rain have accumulated in Bellville since Wednesday at noon, according to the National Weather Service.
Close to an inch and a half of that total has fallen within the past 24 hours as of 4 p.m. Saturday, according to National Weather Service measurements.
Several roadways in Bellville, including State Route 13 and State Route 97, were closed Saturday morning due to flood waters.
Both re-opened as of 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, according to Bellville Mayor Teri Brenkus — who warned residents on Facebook that more rain is expected Saturday night into Sunday morning, which could lead to more road closures.
Several local businesses were unable to open their doors near downtown Bellville on Saturday morning. Other communities throughout Richland County have received significant rainfall since heavy rains began Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service’s local area rainfall monitoring, nearly an inch and a half of rain has accumulated within the past 24 hours in Shelby and Mansfield has received about an inch and a quarter in that same time frame.
More rain is forecasted for Saturday evening into Sunday morning. A flood watch issued by the National Weather Service in Cleveland remains in effect for Richland County until Sunday morning at 8 a.m.
A high of 38 degrees is forecasted for tomorrow, creating the possibility for snow to be mixed in with rain showers. The National Weather Service predicts snow accumulation “of less than a half inch” is possible Sunday and Sunday night.
If you would like to track rising waters in the area and surrounding counties in real time, here are links:
— Black Fork Mohican at Shelby
— Clear Fork Mohican River at Bellville
— Black Fork Mohican River at Loudonville
— Kokosing River at Mount Vernon
Below are photos taken of flooding and high waters in Bellville, Lexington and Shelby on Saturday morning and afternoon.
Below are photos of flooding from the Clear Fork Mohican River taken Saturday morning along Bellville’s Main Street. Credit: Hayden Gray
Below are photos of flooding at Community Park in the Village of Lexington taken Saturday morning. Credit: Hayden Gray
Below are photos of minor flooding and high waters taken around Shelby on Saturday afternoon. Credit: Hayden Gray
Community investment made this reporting happen. Independent, local news in Shelby and Northern Richland County is brought to you in part by the generous support of Phillips Tube Group, R.S. Hanline, ArcelorMittal, Lloyd Rebar, Hess Industries, and Shelby Printing.
