AKRON, Ohio – A section of Interstate 76 in Summit County was closed Thursday evening due to flooding after heavy rains hit northeast Ohio.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, I-76 is closed in both directions in Barberton due to flooding. Flooding was also reported on Ohio 82 East near Macedonia, but the highway remains open.
It is the latest problem caused by the severe weather in the region over the past few days. As of Thursday evening, there were more than 230,000 power outages, including nearly 160,000 in Cuyahoga County alone, after at least four tornadoes hit northeast Ohio on Tuesday.
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The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for Summit, Medina, Geauga and Portage counties. Those areas have already seen 3 to 5 inches of rain, and another 1 to 2 inches is possible overnight, meteorologists say.
The warnings warn that “life-threatening” flash flooding could occur in Solon, Hudson, Twinsburg, Streetsboro, South Russell, Aurora, Reminderville and Bainbridge Township. The NWS warns motorists to avoid flooded roadways because most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
The NWS says the Cuyahoga River crest is at 11.5 feet in Summit County late Thursday night, about 6 inches above flood stage. This could affect Cuyahoga Falls and Munroe Falls near Kennedy Park.
