Heavy rains across central Ohio caused flooding in parts of Lancaster, prompting rescues at area apartments and a dog boarder, officials said.
The July 27 rain also forced the closure of some roads in Fairfield County, displacing some residents. Lancaster police Sgt. Mike Callander said that as of 6:30 a.m. July 28, floodwaters were receding, and many roads that had been closed due to the water were now passable.
Callander said there was an “extensive” emergency response to the flooding, and police helped people evacuate their apartments.
The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at the YMCA, located at 465 W. 6th Street in Lancaster, for impacted Fairfield County residents. Anyone needing assistance as of July 28 should call 1-800-RedCross, the Central and Southern Ohio Red Cross said in a post on X.
The storms that prompted the evacuations were part of a system that moved through the region beginning in the mid-afternoon of July 27. The National Weather Service in Wilmington said in a 2:45 p.m. post on X that showers and thunderstorms moving through the area were “occurring in a very moist atmosphere which is resulting in some intense rain rates,” and flooding was already happening in some areas.
More storms across central Ohio in Monday’s forecast
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a flash flood warning for Lancaster, Pickerington and Baltimore at 3:45 p.m., and extended it until 10 p.m. The warning expired, but much of Fairfield County remained under a flood advisory until 8:30 a.m. July 28.
More thunderstorms are forecast for Monday across central Ohio, with high temperatures in the low to mid-90s, and the heat index will make temperatures feel like 100 degrees.
Flooding threatened dog boarder
The Finishing Institute for Dog Ownership (FIDO), a dog boarder in Lancaster, evacuated after significant flooding, the business wrote on its Facebook page early in the morning on July 27. Lancaster police and fire personnel, and the Fairfield County Dog Shelter, worked to assist the business.
The building suffered “significant” flood damage, with “creek residue” and mud in the parking lot and entry area, the business later wrote on Facebook.
One dog, a 3-year-old tan and black dog named Scooby, escaped during the commotion as the business evacuated, according to a missing poster circulated on social media.
The business received an outpouring of donations, including new dog beds and blankets, towels and cleaning supplies, the business said in another Facebook post. A resident with a skid steer helped move the dumpster back into place and scraped mud from the parking lot.
“We are so blessed to have so many kind souls looking out for us,” the business wrote.
Dogs boarding with FIDO were brought to the Fairfield County Dog Shelter. The center said in a post on Facebook that pet parents could come to the shelter at 1715 Granville Pike to pick up their dogs.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Storms leave flood damage at dog boarder, with more rain forecasted