MOUNT VERNON — Heavy thunderstorms bringing torrents of rain barreled through Knox County during the late evening hours Sunday and all through the early morning hours today. The excessive rainfall caused many reports of high water this morning as the ground was already saturated from the recent melting of snow and ice.
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The following roads are closed due to high water
Apple Valley Drive off of Danville-Amity Road.
Ohio 205 between Shadley Valley Road and Orange Hill Road.
Wally Road.
The following roads are now open:
Glenn Road
Zion Road
Hazel Dell Road
Sparta Road
Killduff Road
Lower Green Valley Road
Knox County Emergency Management Agency Director Brian Hess reported that numerous roads across the county were reported to have high water with a few locations being closed. Closed as of 8:40 a.m. today were Ohio 95 from Salem Road to the Richland County line; Toms Road; Ohio 3 at Pealer Mill Road; and Lakeland Drive near Old Mansfield Road at the northwest corner of Knox Lake. The Lakeland Drive closure affected as many as 100 residents as access was closed to the housing development.
Hess had received reports of numerous other areas of high water. Some of these included Lovers Lane at Banning Road, Ohio 229 at Camp Road, Thayer Road at Columbus Road, water over Raven Road was reported to be 3 feet deep, Proper Road east of Ohio 3, Upper Fredericktown Road at Hyatt Road and Apple Valley Drive at Baldwin Drive.
Hess explained reports come through dispatchers who take detailed information and transfer them to the Emergency Operations Center in case of local emergencies. Extra personnel is brought in to the EOC in these cases to assist dispatchers. Specific locations are posted on large boards in the EOC and prioritized as far as life safety and immediate impact. He added how every detail is documented to assure the possibility of disaster reimbursement.
Mount Vernon Safety-Service Director Dave Glass reported this morning that high water had been reported in a few places in town, but no reports of power outages had been received. Center Run was reported to be over its banks this morning.
“Center Run is one of those creeks which has a huge drain basin. It’s not at its peak yet,” said Glass. “But we’re monitoring it.”
Knox County Highway crews were out early this morning, setting out signs and barricades in locations of high water. “A few culverts have been washed out, and there is a closing on Danville-Amity Road,” said road foreman Rod Montgomery, who added that they report any problems to the Knox County EMA.
