COLUMBUS, Ohio — Flooded roads were an issue for many central Ohioans on their morning commute Monday.
In Dublin, Riverside Drive began flooding around 3 a.m. in the area of Tuller Road.
City Operations Administrator Gary Browning said the flooding was largely caused by debris from Interstate 270 and the tree line coming down the hill and clogging a drainage area.
“This particular area here starting where I-270 is at had water [that] was ponding up in places that was about two feet deep. That water, and the current moving it, brought debris from the tree line and also the freeway which the flowed into the storm sewer system causing the lines to be blocked,” Browning said.
Crews from the city and the Ohio Department of Transportation spent hours clearing the area on Monday.
Several Dublin neighborhood roads also flooded.
Antonio Contreras woke up to see his cul-de-sac turned into a pond.
“It is quite a surprise for a Monday. It was raining all last night and I could hear there was something going on and when I woke up this morning, I came out and this is what we found. It is quite a change of scenery for the neighborhood,” he said.
Flooding was an issue across central Ohio.
Drivers were also warned to avoid some areas by the airport due to high water.
According to ODOT, water on flooded roadways is often due to litter clogging drains.
“That stuff gets into the storm drains, blocks the storm drains. When we have heavy rain, the water has nowhere to go and nine times out of ten, when we go to pump out that drain to relieve the flooding on the highway, it's trash, it's cups, it's wrappers from fast food, it is car parts from crashes, it is all of these things that get down into storm drains and cause problems,” said ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning.
With more rain in the forecast, it is an issue that could repeat on Tuesday.
“Please don’t ignore the high water signs and the barricades. We will be putting those up as conditions warrant around the state of Ohio and we certainly anticipate we will see those in flood-prone areas,” Bruning said.
Drivers who come across flooding on roadways are warned to find a different route.