In Reynoldsburg, we have seen an increasing amount of floods at levels which we have never before seen. This flooding comes “not only Blacklick Creek and the tributaries around it but also the city’s stormwater, sewer and everything, specifically in those areas that have experienced intense flooding due to the unique weather patterns that have come up in the last decade or so.” 

Climate change creates extended periods of drought and more frequent extreme rainfall events, leading to conditions ripe for flooding. However, due to development impacts to floodplains and forests, there are less places for water to go and be absorbed naturally.

In 2021, 4.5 inches of rain fell in an hour and a half in Reynoldsburg according to the National Weather Service. In 2020, Blacklick Creek was again lapping at the decks of Reynoldsburg homes. In 2015, 4 Feet of water flooded Chatworth Way, a street on the west side of Blacklick Creek, flooding the homes and basements of multiple families. Though flood insurance is now normal for homes in that area, that wasn’t always the case, because it didn’t used to be a flood plain. 

The areas of Reynoldsburg most impacted by these floods are the areas west of the creek—especially Wards 1 and 4. These neighborhoods have larger BIPOC populations than other areas of Reynoldsburg because of historical redlining. These floods have impacted annual insurance costs and decreased home values, which has cascading impact such as decreasing annual household value. 

Our Mayor and City Council secured more than $300,000 in funding from FEMA to examine areas of the city hit by heavy flooding over the years. This includes not only Blacklick Creek and the tributaries around it but also the city’s stormwater and sewer systems, specifically in those areas that have experienced the most intense flooding. 

The hazard mitigation assistance funding from FEMA hopefully will provide long- and short-term solutions for residents whose properties have sustained damage multiple times. Already, residents are seeing the benefits through installation of a water level detection device on Blacklick Creek. It provides live updates to residents and city services once water levels have reached a certain threshold. 

Do you want to continue to find ways to rid our community of this problem? Do you want to be part of the solution, for this, and other issues facing our community? Then please join us in taking our community survey, for community climate conversations, and engage with other leaders and members of our community to help move Reynoldsburg forward!

During one Reynoldsburg flood, the waters reached the top steps (shown above) of the city’s police station.