Muskingum County EMA Prepares for Possible Weekend Flooding

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Temperatures are unseasonably warm for a typical
January in the Buckeye State and the National Weather Service is
calling for 2-4 inches of rain in the Muskingum County Area over the
weekend. The amount of rain and potential resulting flooding remain
dependent on the path of the storm system. Jeff Jadwin, Director of
the Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency, says the
organization is prepared for any weather conditions that may arise.

“We’ve been
checking river levels for the last couple weeks because of the
rain—off and on. Right now, all the levels are down. They’re not
super low; but they’re down enough that we’ve got some room to
accept some large amount of rain before we get into flood stages. Of
course the areas that are low-lying—some of the township roads and
county roads that flood when we have hard rains will flood also, you
know as usual.”

While 2 to 4 inches
of rain can become a source of frustration and inconvenience, this
weekend’s weather will not likely pose any serious threat to public
safety.

“It’s not going
to be too much of a problem—if we get four or five inches, yes
that’ll be a problem—up to two or three…we should be able to
handle that. The ground is saturated; so there will be a lot of
runoff. But you know, we need to be concerned—need to keep a
look-out for what’s coming our way.”

The EMA suggests
having a bag packed in case of emergency this weekend—complete with
clothing, medication, non-perishable food items, and water. While the
rain is not likely to cause major flooding, motorists are cautioned
that it is unsafe to drive through standing water.