Storms Cause Flash Flooding in Ohio, Kentucky; 1 Killed

Severe thunderstorms swept through the Ohio Valley on Sunday, destroying mobile homes, knocking out power to thousands of houses and killing at least one person.

Up to 3 inches of rain fell on areas already sodden from last week’s storms, causing flash floods in several areas of Kentucky and Ohio.

In eastern Kentucky, a 10-year-old boy disappeared in a culvert as flash flooding closed roads and washed away trailers.

A 20-year-old man jumped into the 200-foot culvert to rescue the boy but was also swept through, said Don Armstrong, spokesman for the state Department of Emergency Services. The man was rescued, but the boy was still missing late Sunday.

In Massieville, Ohio, 73-year-old James Clark died Sunday after falling into a creek near his home, the sheriff’s office said.

A tornado bounced through Scioto County in southern Ohio, destroying one mobile home and damaging two others. There were no reports of injuries. At one point Sunday, power was out to about 1,000 homes in the county.

A flood watch for counties in central, western and southern Ohio was in effect through today. In southern Meigs County, about 25 families in four communities were evacuated because of possible flash flooding. About 3 inches of rain fell there in about an hour, said Bob Byer, director of Meigs County Emergency Services.

Kentucky was hit by two storms Sunday--the first wave packing large hail and the second unleashing roaring winds.