12/26/17 – 5:30 A.M.

We continue our look back at 2017 today, recapping the top stories of the year as suggested by our listeners. The sixth story in our series looks at July flooding.

The area once again saw major flooding, as the Blanchard River rose to its fifth-highest crest in recorded history at just over 16.5 feet on July 14. Heavy downpours dropped more than four inches of rain income locations the day before, leading to major flash flooding in areas that don’t typically see high water…

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At the time Mayor Lydia Mihalik said the high water cut off all north-south routes in Findlay except for the I-75 bridge. With major construction taking place on the interstate, traffic around Findlay slowed to a crawl in some areas.

The American Red Cross listed three homes as destroyed and at least seven as having major damage. Around 100 more homes and businesses sustained minor damage.

Officials noted that the damage, while significant, was less than previous major floods. They credited the removal of buildings from the floodplain for helping bring down damage numbers.