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Rivers are rising, but high water typical for this time of year

**Updated March 9**

The Ohio River crested at 53 feet, Sunday, according to the Associated Press.  That's one foot above flood stage.  The river level is expected to fall slowly through the rest of the week.  The National Weather Service is predicting rain on Tuesday, and again Thursday and Friday.

**Original story** 

With plenty of rain and snow this week, area rivers are expected to rise quickly.

And it won't have anything to do with the rising temperatures expected this weekend and next week, according to a National Weather Service hydrologist.

Julie Reed with the National Weather Service in Wilmington says the Ohio River should crest at 52 feet at Maysville, Kentucky on Saturday.  Flood stage there is 50 feet.

“The city of Maysville is protected by a flood wall at pretty high levels," Reed says.  "The flood stage tends to effect areas in and around Maysville.

"Maybe areas just upstream or on the Ohio side of the river, for example,” Reed says.  “But that will be kind of lingering above or flood stage the better part of the weekend, and then start to recede next week.”

Credit Bill Rinehart / WVXU
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WVXU

  The Ohio River is expected to reach flood stage at Cincinnati Friday. Flood stage is 52 feet, and it should crest at 53.5 feet.

“Probably the areas most impacted in the Cincinnati area tend to be like near East End, California, those locations," Reed said. "Certainly portions of Kellogg can be under water.  We’re really not looking at anything like into somebody’s home.  But certainly on property and certainly some low lying roadways."

Reed says the Ohio should drop below flood stage by Monday.

Warmer temperatures this weekend and next week won't add to flooding, according to Reed.  The National Weather Service predicts highs in the 40s over the weekend, and into the 50s next week.

“We really need temperatures much higher than that to get a rapid warm-up and snow melt," Reed says.  "And we’re looking at lows at night getting colder.  So, it wouldn’t be a continual snow release.  So certainly we would expect the river to be higher than normal. But in the immediate future, we’re not expecting any flooding, but certainly it’s something we’ll be monitoring.”

Reed says the Ohio River has its highest levels in January through April, with March being the peak.

“It’s not often we get a big snow like this in March, but certainly the vegetation is not out; the rain that does occur runs off more quickly so the rivers tend to be more vulnerable to flooding,” Reed says.

Snowfall totals from Wednesday-Thursday range from 1.8 inches in Harrison, to 12 inches in Falmouth, Kentucky.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.