CINCINNATI — A thaw-out is well underway across the Greater Cincinnati area following frigid temperatures and snow, bringing with it a proliferation of potholes across the city.
In the last seven days, according to city data, 1,339 potholes have been filled, or roughly 191 per day on average. In January, crews filled 2,297 potholes.
You can report a pothole through the 311Cincy app. Once you open the app, hit the "request a service" button, plug in your location, then hit "potholes." The app will then ask you a series of questions about the pothole(s):
- Would you like to add a photo?
- What is the address of the street needing to be fixed?
- Describe a location on the street
- Is there a nearby business, landmark or cross street?
- How many potholes?
- Additional comments?
According to the Cincinnati Department of Public Services (DPS), crews usually respond within two weeks of a request being made. However, that timeline could be longer if DPS is experiencing a spike in requests or weather impacts.
WATCH: How to combat the "pothole palooza" brought on by rising temperatures following weeks of winter weather
DPS doesn't make pothole repairs on privately owned streets. If your pothole problems pertain to the highway or entrance and exit ramps, you will want to reach out to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
311Cincy is the city's non-emergency, customer service system. It gives residents greater access to various Cincinnati government departments such as Transportation & Engineering, Buildings & Inspections, Health and Public Services.
You can also open a request 24/7 by calling 311 or 513-765-1212 from outside the city, or by using the 311Cincy website.
Duane Jackson told us he was driving down Reading Road with his girlfriend on Tuesday during evening rush hour. They encountered what he described as an "unusually large" pothole.
"My girlfriend, she was like, "Man, there's so many potholes out today,'" Jackson said. "As soon as she said that, there was a giant one right in front of us. I tried to avoid it, but it was rush hour with no wiggle room, so I slowed down and took it as slow as I could at like 35 mph. It blew out the tire completely."
Jackson said he knew immediately the damage that had been done.
"You hear that hiss, like, 'Oh man, I already know what's happening,'" Jackson said. "You can feel the grinding of the rims on the road."
Have you been affected by potholes in your area? You can reach out to Connor here:
Fortunately, Jackson was able to pull over at a nearby Dollar General and change the tire himself, thanks to skills his father had taught him.
Jackson, who lives in Northern Kentucky, said he noticed significantly more potholes than usual following the recent bouts of snow and freezing temperatures.
"Definitely more than what I'm used to in this area," Jackson said. "I need to do my research and figure out who I can contact from the city. I would like to get reimbursed because if you saw it, it was very big."
In Cincinnati, there is a process for drivers to seek reimbursement for damage caused by potholes on city-maintained streets. However, it must be proven that the city had prior knowledge of the road condition and failed to act within a reasonable amount of time.
You can access the damage claim form here. ODOT has a similar web page you can access here for damage sustained in areas it's responsible for maintaining.
For drivers navigating current road conditions, Jackson offers this advice: take it slow and stay alert.
"Just watch out. And not even just watch out for the potholes. Watch out for other people that are dodging the potholes, because they'll cause other accidents," Jackson said. "Just be aware. Just watch out. Be careful. They're dangerous out here."
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