Cincinnati, OH – A significant flash flood threat is developing across parts of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians Tuesday, where repeated thunderstorms could dump several inches of rain and make some roads dangerous or impassable.
According to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center, a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall is in place for portions of eastern Indiana, northeast Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Numerous flash floods are considered likely within the Moderate Risk area highlighted in red.
Forecasters expect rounds of thunderstorms from Tuesday afternoon into the overnight hours. The Weather Prediction Center said forecasts call for a mean rainfall axis of 2 to 4 inches, while localized totals could reach 6 to 8 inches.
The Moderate Risk corridor stretches from near the Cincinnati area eastward across southern Ohio and into West Virginia, including areas near Charleston. Surrounding portions of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and nearby Appalachian communities face lower but still notable excessive rainfall risks.
The threat is especially concerning in the hilly terrain of the Appalachians, where saturated soil could contribute to rapid runoff and flash flooding.
Residents traveling Tuesday should closely monitor forecasts and have multiple ways to receive warnings. Conditions can deteriorate quickly when thunderstorms repeatedly move over the same locations.
Officials are also emphasizing a critical safety message: Never drive or walk onto a flooded roadway. Water covering a road can hide washouts or be deeper and faster-moving than it appears.
People across the Cincinnati region, Ohio Valley and Appalachians should remain weather-aware through Tuesday night as additional storms develop.
