CINCINNATI — Residents in the Hyde Park neighborhood said it took only about 20 to 30 minutes for a downpour to become a serious flood threat.
People in the Tri-State are continuing to clean up and survey damage from flooding caused by powerful storms. Oakley, Hyde Park and Norwood were hit especially hard with heavy rain leaving streets, parking lots, businesses and homes flooded.
WATCH: Here's what the flooding looked like on Friday night as rising water sent people scrambling:
Parts of both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-71 were submerged in water, leading to many vehicles having to pull over into the left shoulder.
“I came outside, and I couldn’t believe it, it came up past the fire hydrant," Hyde Park resident Jennifer Allman said. "It was pretty brutal.”
Rising water levels almost completely submerged cars. Floodwaters receded, leaving damage, dirt and debris.
On Erie Avenue, floodwaters left vehicles partially submerged and blocked roads for a couple of hours, leaving some drivers temporarily stuck.
"The one white car, I was worried somebody, you know, was in it," Allman said. "They did get out, but they were walking through up to their chest. It was terrifying."
"I have never seen rain like that before," Hyde Park resident Tamar Stalvey said Saturday morning.
Video from Monica Keller shows multiple cars flooded in the Factory 52 parking lot in Norwood.
Some drivers climbed on top of their vehicles near the Little Miami Watershed at Duck Creek.
The WCPO 9 Weather team declared Saturday a First Warning Weather Day because of a second round of storms expected in the afternoon.
"During the summer months we get these afternoons when all the ingredients are there for storms to start popping," WCPO 9 Meteorologist Cameron Hardin said. "While we once again will have chances for showers and storms this afternoon, it’s rare that we see what happened yesterday."
Neko Sushi, just around the corner from Hyde Park Square, was one of the businesses that also flooded Friday. Owner Yeon Kim told WCPO 9 this is the fifth time her restaurant has been flooded since 2018.
"The City need to reevaluate the sewage problem," Kim said. "There's so many of our business has been flooded, and then we do have a problem and that's ultimately, they need to claim."
She says having only two sewage drains near her business is the main issue, which she says leaves her nervous any time there is heavy rain. She says she has reached out to city council several times but there has been no resolution.
Zip's restaurant in Mt. Lookout, which just recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, posted to its Facebook page that it will be closed through the weekend.
"We have done a lot of work to shore up this old building, but it just wasn't enough for that storm," the post states, adding that they have called in a remediation company to assess the damage.
WCPO 9's Frank Marzullo walked through Mount Lookout Square Saturday morning to get a look at the flooding's aftermath.
WATCH: Frank Marzullo shows how high flooding reached in Mount Lookout businesses:
Did water get into your home or business? Here's what to do now
ServePro offered these steps to take whenever you experience flooding.
If things are already wet inside your home, the first thing you should do is try to remove everything wet, especially carpeting and carpet padding, ServePro franchise owner Patrick Wright told WCPO 9 consumer reporter John Matarese. Those items will start getting moldy within 24 hours if left damp on a basement floor. Wet rugs will not dry out in a damp basement, and need to be lifted upstairs.
Wright said unless you have several high powered fans and dehumidifiers, you should call a professional, to get everything dry before mold grows.
Once you get the cleanup started, the next question is how to pay for it.
Restoration of a finished basement can hit the thousands of dollars, because most people don't have flood insurance.
The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati may help with cleanup and may reimburse for some losses. The agency has a program to assist customers who experience a sewer backup in their home related to a capacity issue in the public sewer system.
This involves sewage backing up through a floor drain or toilet, not stormwater.
You can apply for help at their website or by phone, by calling 513-352-4900.
If you need help drying things out, contact companies like ServePro and Teasdale Fenton, or Cincinnati's Metropolitan Sewer District.
Homeowners, be warned: Most standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding. Be sure to check your policy to see if it does cover flood damage or confirm whether you have active flood insurance as a separate policy.
