The Clear Fork River spilled over its banks last night in Bellville and despite clear skies this morning, some Clear Fork and Richland County residents will had concerns. The Clear Fork was still pouring over the road this morning at 7 a.m.
The village was inaccessible; and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Jefferson Township-Bellville Fire Department, south of town, for displaced residents within the village. The Butler Nutrition Center in Butler reported that they would not be able to deliver Meals on Wheels today because the routes into Butler were also flooded.
Jolie McCue lives just north of the flood waters on the north side of Bellville. That doesn’t mean she was spared. Her basement was flooded and Wednesday morning she was waiting for her father to bring her a pump. She said that she stayed up all night, alone, after insuring that her three daughters were with family. McCue said she was giving news interviews as early as 2 a.m. this morning.
According to the National Weather Service, the flood warning remains in effect through this evening. The weather service also reported that “numerous storms with heavy rain are expected to affect the area again today ahead of a cold front. The cold front will move across the area this evening and end the threat for additional heavy rain.”
An automated sensor at Mansfield Lahm Airport measured 2.42 inches of rain overnight on Monday. And a Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) report from Lexington registered 2.63 inches on Monday.
