HARRISON, Ohio — At its peak, flood waters from the Whitewater River blanketed fields and stalled cars on main roads Friday along the state border in Harrison, Ohio and West Harrison Indiana.
Following mandatory evacuations Thursday night, 30 people slept inside the Harrison Community Center on George Street or in their cars in the center's parking lot, Harrison City Administrator Kim Downey said. City officials lifted the evacuation order Friday afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service, the Whitewater River at Brookville saw "historic rises" which caused flooding impacts down stream in Harrison and West Harrison.
WATCH: Here's what we saw in Harrison and West Harrison following "historic" flooding in the area
"While the outcome has been the best that we could possibly ask for—the majority of all the bad weather went north of us, which was great—but it still hit Brookville and Connersville," Harrison Mayor Ryan Grubbs said. "And that's all the Whitewater River watershed, so it's still coming down this way."
First responders were assisted by Hamilton County Urban Search & Rescue (USAR). Crews deployed around 3:30 a.m. and completed boat rescues. Downey said first responders performed about a dozen water rescues. Along with water rescue crews, USAR deployed its aerial reconnaissance unit (ARU).
"We've been kind of just keeping overwatch, making sure that everyone's safe, basically seeing stuff from the sky," Rob Kallendorf, unit flight leader, said. "This is what we train for."
ARU crews used drones to assess water levels and search for those who may have been in need of a water rescue. By Friday morning, Kallendorf said they were flying every half hour on the the hour to make sure the water was going down.
By Friday afternoon, waters receded as roads that were previously flooded began to open back up. Downey said many of the houses in the area impacted saw flooding in their basements while businesses in the area also experienced some damage.
"Storm water system has really taken a hit with the river pushing up through the storm drains," Grubbs said. "It's really taking a hit, so we'll have to check all that."
Grubbs said officials will continue to monitor conditions in the area and speak with impacted residents to see if they're okay and what they may need in terms of assistance.
