Runaway flatboat, rising waters make new cerebral pains across Mid-Ohio Valley

PARKERSBURG – A canal boat broke loose and went down the Little Kanawha Stream Friday morning, causing nearby experts to close down various stretches of land until it passed and was brought under control as people around the city And because of the movement, neighboring waterways are actually rising.

Parkersburg Police Division Chief R.L. At approximately 6:51 a.m. Friday, the Parkersburg Police Division responded to a call of a parked flatboat with a rock on it that was descending the Little Kanawha Waterway toward the Ohio Stream, Kohr said.

Authorities closed the East Road Scaffold, Fifth Road Extension and Juliana Road Extension as the canal boat passed below.

Despite the fact that it did not hit any obstructions to road traffic, the flatboat came into contact with a support point on a railroad track just past the Juliana Road Extension.

"There was a tow boat in Ohio Waterways that had the option to pick up the flatboat before it collided with something else," Kohr said.

CSX Railroad had arrived and they had span monitors to check the railroad spans.

Koher had no data on where the flatboat came from or who was responsible for it. Nearby officers reached the coast guard.

"We closed the scaffolding and made sure people were generally safe," Kohr expressed. He said he had no wrongdoing to investigate.

A representative for Coast Gatekeeper said they were aware of the incident and confirmed what Koher said about the episode. He issued warnings, although they were released when the canal boat managed to enter an Ohio waterway, he said, causing no damage so no inspector was sent.

The Parkersburg Local Firefighters Group also responded to the incident with boss Jason Matthews confirming what Kohr said.

The Public Weather Conditions Administration in Charleston issued a flood warning Friday for the Ohio Stream at Belleville Lock, affecting the Wood, Jackson and Meigs areas, as well as the Ohio Waterway at Parkersburg, affecting Wood and Washington counties. It has been postponed till Tuesday.

This comes after floods hit the area last week.

The Weather Administration is reminding people to "turn around, don't suffocate" if they experience high water on roads as the majority of flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.

A wind warning was active as of 7 a.m. Saturday with the potential for gusts of 40-45 mph. Weather Conditions The administration warned that strong winds will blow around unstable objects and that trees and tree appendages may blow over and some blackouts may occur.

As of 3:30 p.m. Wood Area Sheriff Rick Woodyard said Friday, there were no road closures that would impact neighborhood traffic.

At one o'clock in the afternoon. The Ohio current was at 32.83 feet on Friday. The stream should reach 39.3 feet by 8 a.m. Sunday. The flood level in Parkersburg is 36 feet.

The stream at Marietta was at 32.63 feet at 1 p.m. Friday. It is normal to reach 38 feet by 2 pm. on Sunday.

Wood District 911 Chief Mike Shook said the current will peak Sunday.

He admits that there may be flooding in some areas. He said a portion of the campground along the Little Kanawha Stream was submerged and water covered parts of the recreation area at Point Park in Parkersburg.

"We're just waiting to see what happens right now," he said.

Woodyard said various streams are rising. Officials are monitoring the current as well as storm gauges.

"It looks like some of it will go south of us," he said. “It will largely depend on more rain we get.

"If we get additional storms it will lead to future flooding."

The Parkersburg area saw another round of heavy rainfall Thursday through Friday, said Megan Kibler, a meteorologist with the Public Weather Administration in Charleston.

He said it set a benchmark of 1.37 inches of rainfall for a single day, breaking the previous record of .83 inches set in 2001.

“We are currently seeing the consequences of this,” Kibler said.

The Weather Administration will also monitor the levels of Ohio waterways.

"It is expected that from (late Friday night) to (Saturday) morning it will again reach minor flooding," Kibler said.

The stream will peak on Sunday morning before eventually returning to its river banks during the next week.

"The greatest threat currently is to our east," he said. “We should be dry by the end of the week.”

As rainfall moves out of the area, the response may be delayed as excess water from neighboring feeders recedes and begins to flow into the Ohio Stream. With the ground wet in different areas, it may be easier for strong winds to down trees, Kibler said.

Due to rising water, softball people start screaming.