Coverage by Justin McMullen, Jiovanni Lieggi, Anna Meyer, Mitti Hicks, 3News.
Vehicles were trapped and roadways were flooded after heavy rain caused flash flooding across Northeast Ohio, including in Akron’s Merriman Valley area and Cuyahoga Falls.
According to Akron police, “severe” flooding hit streets on the west side of Akron.
Police were working to assist citizens in disabled cars and asked drivers to avoid the following areas:
- Merriman Valley area including Merriman Road, North Portage Path, Sand Run Parkway and Weathervane Lane
- Cuyahoga Street
- Memorial Parkway
- West Market Street near Elmdale Avenue
- Mull Avenue near the roundabout
- Vernon Odom Boulevard and South Hawkins Avenue
- Storer Avenue
Cars blasted through high water that streaked down West Market Street like a river from Highland Square to the bottom of West Hill as a deluge of 3 to 5 inches of rain hit the Akron area starting around 8 p.m.
A concentrated and sometimes isolated band of severe thunderstorms, described as dropping “tropical levels” of rain, sat over West Akron for several hours, extending to Barberton, Orrville and up into Cuyahoga County.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik asked residents to avoid Cuyahoga Street, Memorial Parkway, the Merriman Valley and Weathervane Playhouse area.
(1/2) Attention! There is a flash flood warning in Akron effective until 1:15AM. Please avoid Cuyahoga Street, Memorial Parkway, Merriman Valley & Weathervane. If you are stuck or in an unsafe situation, please call 911. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded- pic.twitter.com/EKG5VvYdYz
— Mayor Shammas Malik (@AkronOhioMayor) August 9, 2024
The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning on Thursday night for several Northeast Ohio counties as thunderstorms moved across the area.
The Flash Flood Warning has since expired. It was in effect in southwestern Geauga County, northwestern Portage County, and Summit County until 1:30 a.m. Friday. A Flash Flood Warning was also previously in effect in eastern Holmes County, southeastern Medina County in northeastern Ohio, southwestern Summit County, and eastern Wayne County until 2 a.m.
Ohio Department of Transportation cameras showed flooding that also hit I-76 in Barberton. The highway was closed in both directions beyond Barber Road due to flooding.
According to the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, flooding also hit the Bainbridge area. Road closures were in effect at the intersection of US-422 at OH-306, the intersection of Bainbridge Road and Millbrook Drive and the area of Flintlock Road.
In Cuyahoga Falls, Mayor Don Walters told 3News that many of the city’s low points have flooded. According to the mayor, several drivers became trapped in their cars and needed to be rescued at Bath Road and State Road. People also became trapped at Prange Drive, Morrison Avenue, 6th Street, Graham Road and Lillis Drive.
