COLUMBUS, Ohio — On the last days of February leading into March of 1997, thunderstorms and areas of heavy rain slowly moved into the Ohio Valley.
A large storm system moved from the Great Plains and pulled in warmer air our of the Gulf of Mexico, air that had 200% of the normal amount of moisture for that time of year.
Flash flooding occurred over the next few days with the heaviest of rainfall amounts south of the Ohio River where 10-12 inches fell.
At least 10 tornadoes occurred in Kentucky, with the strongest being an F2 tornado.
In the timeframe of Feb. 28 to March 2, the area saw 10 tornadoes, 42 reports of severe thunderstorms and over 250 reports of flash flooding. Total damage across the region was approximately $700 million (with inflation that would reach $1.2 billion in 2022).
“When we think of severe weather, everyone thinks of tornados but the bottom line is flooding kills more people, in Ohio and across the country, floods kill more people," Julie Reed, a Hydrologist at NWS Wilmington, said.
Twenty-four people died in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana with 83% of deaths from either driving or walking into flooded roadways or areas.
If you want more information on the March Flood of 1997, you can find it here.