The City of Cincinnati is transitioning to cleanup efforts as floodwater begins to recede along the Ohio River. These next steps will begin Thursday and Friday and last well into next week. Some cleanup may take weeks to complete. This will be determined as waters recede and crews are able to assess the severity of damage.

Immediate Focus

• Assessing damage to public infrastructure and private properties
• Reinstalling traffic signal controllers and reopening roads
• Cleaning up flooded areas including Parks and Recreation facilities
• Removing flood gates and deactivating the Barrier Dam

Public Services Cleanup

The Department of Public Services (DPS) will be conducting cleanup efforts once waters recede from roadways and public infrastructure and crews are able to safely assess the damage. DPS will implement additional safety measures where needed in affected areas. Then DPS will work to assess damage to roads, bridges, utilities and facilities. Once complete, DPS will shift to repair and restoration efforts to ensure streets are safe for travel. They do this by patching any potholes and repairing any other damaged infrastructure. Additionally, crews will begin debris removal including downed branches and other materials left from the floodwater. Please be patient with crews as they diligently work to complete these labor-intensive tasks.

At the same time, DPS crews are also conducting landslide cleanup at two locations, one in Mt. Adams and the other in Mt. Auburn.

Buildings and Inspections

Beginning Friday, Buildings and Inspections (B&I) staff will go door to door to inspect properties in affected neighborhoods and assess the severity of the damage. B&I has identified approximately 700 addresses as being potentially impacted in the Central Business District, East End, California and Riverside neighborhoods. Inspectors will also distribute handouts sharing information about the next steps for property owners and residents to follow as they recover from the flood damage. Aside from damage assessment activities, inspectors will also be assessing construction sites for erosion and sediment control issues.

Reinstalling Traffic Signal Controllers

The Department of Transportation and Engineering Traffic Services will begin reinstalling traffic signal controllers at the flood impacted intersections on Thursday and Friday. Traffic Services personnel will be mobilizing on Thursday to reinstall controller equipment along Mehring Way. They plan to address intersections along Kellogg on Friday unless areas there are accessible to crews earlier than expected. If traffic lights are not operational, drivers should treat the intersection as if it were a four-way stop.

Cincinnati Parks

Based on current water level forecasts it is anticipated large scale clean-up efforts of the riverfront parks may begin mobilizing on Friday. As the waters recede, staff will begin cleaning the roughly one-mile stretch, consisting of about 60 acres of parks including Smale, Yeatman's Cove and Sawyer Point. Crews will be working hard to remove debris and hundreds of sandbags, and hosing or power washing all the surfaces, including lawns, to remove the layer of silt and mud which can range from a few to several inches thick. Park benches, trash cans and other amenities displaced by the flood waters will also be replaced. Once the area is cleaned and dry, the lights, electric infrastructure, restroom under the Roebling bridge, and the foot piano at Smale will be returned. 

Visitors should not plan on using the parks this weekend. Until the area can be fully assessed for damages it won't be known for certain, however it is anticipated the Riverfront parks will be fully cleaned and accessible sometime mid- late next week. For their own safety, the public is encouraged to remain out of the clean-up area while work is underway.  

Cincinnati Recreation Commission

Schmidt and Riverside Boat Ramps and athletic fields, Otto Armleder athletic fields and playground, Boldface Park, Turkey Ridge Park, Reeves Golf Course, and Lunken Playfield and Tennis Center will be closed through next week for clean-up.

Rakestraw athletic field and Leblond Recreation Center expected to reopen Friday.

Removal of Flood Gates

Stormwater Management Utility will begin removing flood gates in the coming days. The Mehring Way flood gate will be taken down this Friday. The Carr Street flood gate will be removed on Monday.

Sewer Backup Response

The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) has received 259 reports of potential sewer backups and has completed investigations on 256 to date. Of the 256, 23 are related to capacity issues in the public sewer.

If you experience a potential sewer backup in your home or business:

Property owners and tenants can report a potential sewer backup to MSD 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone at
(513) 352-4900 or online at msdgc.org/sbu.  Please report the backup as soon as it’s discovered.

• MSD investigates every report of a potential sewer backup. The crews are usually dispatched within four hours or less. As part of the investigation, the crews will look at manholes, elevations, and float level indicators. They may also enter the property, if permission is granted. 
• Once the investigation is complete, MSD crews will discuss the preliminary findings with you if you are home at the time and will also leave an information packet. If you are eligible for MSD Assistance, MSD will contact you by phone.
• MSD offers additional resources on our Sewer Backup (SBU) website at msdgc.org/sbu to help you understand why sewer backups and water intrusions occur, find a plumber, prevent incidents, and protect your property.

Barrier Dam Deactivation

The Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) and Stormwater Management Utility (SMU) have been diligently monitoring the level of the Ohio River. The Mill Creek Barrier Dam facility was activated Friday, April 4. It will be taken offline this Friday, April 11 after a week of operation.

Use 311 for Non-emergency Needs

311Cincy is the City of Cincinnati's overall non-emergency, customer service system. You can open a request 24/7 by calling 311 or by using the 311Cincy website and mobile app.

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