Soggy pattern holds in Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning Valley residents have no relief in sight from heavy rain that has drenched the area and caused minor flooding throughout this spring.

Karen Oudeman, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland, said rain is predicted through Thursday.

“There will be cloudy skies and periodic showers,” she said.

Friday may be free of rain, she added.

She reported 0.68 inches of rain fell from midnight Friday to midnight Saturday, and 0.41 inches fell from midnight Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Before that, 0.60 inches of rain fell from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday.

Nine days in May have had rainfall. So it’s no wonder that the precipitation total of 22.93 inches from January to May 15 is 10.5 inches above the average, which is 12.4 inches. Measurement is taken at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

The rainfall has contributed to the Mahoning River’s being at 10.4 feet, a bit over flood stage, which is 10 feet. Oudeman said the river is expected to crest at 10.5 feet.

In Mahoning County, Austintown police said Dehoff, Thorngate and Bent Willow streets were temporarily closed Saturday night because of heavy rain. In Canfield, a few streets had issues with water.

In Trumbull County, a resident on Laura Lane in Cortland reported the street was flooded and briefly impassable Saturday night.

Trumbull County Emergency Dispatch said there was flooding on some Howland streets including Brookwood.

Ray Martinez, a spokesman for First Energy, said there were scattered outages in Mahoning and Trumbull counties that were weather related.

A weather-related power outage hit about 3,100 customers on the Youngstown and Girard area about 9 p.m. Saturday when the Mosher and Wirt street substations were affected. He said 2,500 customers had power restored in about an hour and 20 minutes while the remainder had power after 2 1/2 hours.

Martinez said 600 of the same customers in Youngstown and Girard had a power outage about 10 a.m. Saturday when a tractor-trailer took out a primary wire in the 3100 block of Temple Street in Youngstown.

Power for 500 came back on in about an hour, while the last 100 were without power for six hours.