The Little Miami Scenic Trail, Nisbet Park and low-lying roads along the river corridor in Loveland, Milford and Symmes Township face potential flooding through Wednesday morning after the National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a flood watch for Clermont County and most of Greater Cincinnati.
The watch, issued Aug. 10, remains in effect until Aug. 12, according to Clermont County officials. The risk stems mainly from heavy rain overwhelming creeks, ditches, streams and small rivers, including the Little Miami River, which runs through the heart of all three communities.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected through Tuesday night, with locally heavy rainfall and the potential for storms to repeatedly track over the same locations, creating flash-flood conditions, the weather service said in its advisory reported by Link NKY.
NWS Wilmington also urged residents to check radar before heading out and to monitor forecast updates frequently, noting "high uncertainty regarding timing of storms over the coming days."
What it means for trail users and drivers
Residents who walk, bike or run the Little Miami Scenic Trail should check conditions before heading out, particularly along sections that parallel the river between Loveland and Milford. Nisbet Park, which sits along the riverbank in downtown Loveland, is among the first areas to flood when the Little Miami rises.
Those intersections flood repeatedly.
During a June 2021 flood, Riverside Drive at Park Avenue in Loveland and East Kemper Road at Victor Avenue in Symmes Township closed in both directions, with water reaching roughly a foot deep on the roadway, according to Loveland Local News. Both remain vulnerable whenever the river swells.
The Ohio River was not forecast to reach flood stage as of Monday.
What to do
County officials urged residents to monitor weather updates and take precautions. The NWS advises against driving through flooded roads. A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding; a flood warning, which has not been issued, would signal flooding is imminent or already occurring.
