Flooding risk rises in some areas

Melting snow and pelting rain could combine this weekend for a soggy setting, leading weather forecasters to issue advisories alerting area residents to the potential for flooding.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for several counties in northwest Ohio, including Defiance, Fulton, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams.

A strong storm system is expected to sweep across the region Sunday night into Monday, bringing locally heavy rain. That coupled with snow melt runoff could lead to significant flooding along rivers, creeks, streams, and into low-lying areas. Thunderstorms are possible Sunday into Monday as well.

Snow water equivalent values range between a half inch to one and half inches across the area after the recent snow storm. Warmer air settling into the region Sunday will cause rapid snow melt, and widespread rainfall amounts for Sunday into Monday are one to two inches with higher amounts possible during thunderstorms, resulting in the chance for significant flooding early next week.

Possible flood areas include along the Tiffin River, affecting areas in Williams, Defiance and Fulton counties; the St. Joseph River in Defiance County; the Blanchard River at Ottawa, affecting Putnam County; and the Auglaize River near Fort Jennings, affecting Allen, Paulding, and Putnam counties.