Flood Warning Issued for Killbuck Creek, Minor Flooding Expected in Holmes County

Killbuck Creek reached 16.3 feet near the village of Killbuck at 6 a.m. Saturday, surpassing the 15.0-foot flood stage by more than a foot and sending water across Water Street, County Road 621, State Route 60 south, State Route 520, and other low-lying roads in and around Killbuck. By 7 a.m. Sunday the gauge had receded to 15.8 feet, but the creek remained above flood stage, and the National Weather Service in Cleveland's Flood Warning stayed in effect with the river expected to drop below 15 feet by late Sunday afternoon.

The NWS issued the original warning at 6:09 a.m. March 28 after recent heavy rains accelerated the creek's rise. The progression was steep: the stage measured 14.8 feet at 11 a.m. Friday, then surged past the NWS-forecasted crest of 16.1 feet overnight to touch 16.3 feet by early Saturday morning. A comparable flood warning issued for the same stretch of creek in March 2023 forecast the water to barely exceed the 15-foot flood stage; this week's crest came in more than a foot higher.

With the creek still above flood stage Sunday morning, Water Street and County Road 621 in and near Killbuck remained among the routes most at risk. State Route 60 south and State Route 520 were also identified by the weather service as flooded at the 16-foot level, along with local low-lying roads throughout the corridor. Do not assume these routes have cleared until the creek officially drops below flood stage.

"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the weather service warned. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles."

That guidance carries real weight on roads like SR 60 south, where two feet of moving water is sufficient to sweep away a car and washed-out road surfaces may be invisible beneath the flow. Six inches of moving floodwater is enough to knock a person off their feet. If advised to evacuate from low-lying areas near the creek, do so immediately and move to higher ground.

The warning covered both Holmes and Wayne counties. A Sunday morning update from the NWS Cleveland office, issued at 7:52 a.m., stated the warning would remain in effect through Sunday evening. Updated river stage data and the full warning text are available at weather.gov/cle; flood safety guidance is posted at weather.gov/safety/flood.