NEWARK, Ohio — As severe weather and heavy rainfall made their way through Ohio on Monday and Tuesday, communities around the state saw water levels rise, causing flooding on roadways and near homes.
Newark resident Chrissy watched Tuesday evening as the water overflowing from the Licking River inched closer and closer to her front steps.
Her front yard looked more like a lake when she decided to evacuate her family to a motel for safety.
On Wednesday morning, she found several inches of water had made it inside her home, damaging some furniture and leaving a layer of thick mud.
“It’s just material stuff, I’m not really losing my mind. It is just doing it again, first time I lost all my family pictures, this time I made sure not to have anything lower down,” Chrissy said.
Chrissy and her family have been through this before. In 2020, her's was one of 100 homes that flooded after heavy rain in Newark. She was still in the process of replacing her floors from that event.
“I think this is terrible. I should have moved a long time ago. It is hard to get to lower rent but this is just terrible, it is terrifying,” she said.
Flooding was the biggest issue in Newark after a series of storms and heavy rain.
Newark officials took precautions by closing the flood gates to protect the Little Texas neighborhood and asked residents of a mobile home park by the river to evacuate.
Some areas like Chrissy’s by the Licking River are prone to flooding after heavy rainstorms.
Events like this are why Licking County EMA Director Sean Grady says it is important to consider flood insurance.
“People they have to weigh their own risk, what is their risk, how often does this occur, if you are close to waterways you will pay a higher premium versus someone who is away from the waterways or outside the flood plain. So inside the flood plain or outside the flood plain, you are still eligible,” Grady said.
To learn more about flood insurance options, click here.