A flash flood warning is in effect for Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky early Thursday, June 18, following overnight storms that also produced radar-confirmed tornadoes and prompted an ongoing tornado watch across the region.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington reported radar-confirmed tornadoes in the Florence, Erlanger and Burlington areas after midnight, and another in the Piketon, Beaver and Stockdale in Ohio area around 4:15 a.m. A tornado watch remains in effect, with additional warnings continuing to be issued north of the area.
A tornado “likely” touched down in Dearborn County, Indiana, shortly after midnight, according to the county’s emergency management agency.
The storms are part of a larger system that brought severe weather, including tornadoes, across multiple states overnight, with floodwaters now posing the primary concern for drivers across the region early Thursday.
Flash flooding affects highways
Heavy rain from the storms has led to widespread flooding and dangerous travel conditions, forcing multiple road closures and restrictions. Lanes on I‑75 at the I‑74 interchange were restricted due to high water, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Cincinnati police closed I‑75 north between I‑74 and Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway due to flash flooding, though traffic began moving again just before 5 a.m.
All lanes are closed on US-50/SR-264 West at I-71, due to flooding.
Additional closures were reported on I‑75 north at U.S. 50/River Road and on I‑71 southbound beyond the I‑71/U.S. 50 split because of flooding.
Duke Energy power outages reported
More than 11,000 customers are without power across the region, according to Duke Energy.
The hardest-hit areas appear to be in Boone County, including Florence, the area near Westwood in Hamilton County and parts of Clermont County west of Batavia, where outages are most concentrated.
The Enquirer will update this report
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tornado reports, power outages, flood warning in Cincinnati, NKY after storms
Reporting by Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
