LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — A flood warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for part of Lake County near Willoughby due to an ice jam.


What You Need To Know

  • Part of Lake County around Willoughby is under a flood warning due to an ice jam on the Chagrin River near Chardon Road

  • The warning is in effect until 1 a.m. Sunday

  • In a post on social media, the Willoughby Hills Police Department said police and fire went to Milann Drive due to rising water and ice from the river and that water receded before rescue efforts were needed

The warning was issued at 1 a.m. Saturday and is in effect until 1 a.m. Sunday.

“Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring,” the warning reads. “Depending on ice behavior, any release of the ice jam could result in sudden rises of water, leading to a rapid flooding situation.”

These photos are of the ice jam on the Chagrin River:

The NWS states that the fire department reported the ice jam near Chardon Road on the Chagrin River around 1 a.m. Saturday.

It states that the following areas will experience flooding:

  • Mentor
  • Willoughby
  • Eastlake
  • Timberlake
  • Willoughby Hills
  • Kirtland
  • Waite Hill

The NWS says to turn around if you encounter flooding. Do not try and drive through it, and be extra careful at night.

In a post on social media, the Willoughby Hills Police Department said police and fire went to Milann Drive due to rising water and ice from the river.

“An ice jam caused the river to swell affecting several homes in the area,” the post reads. "The water began to recede prior to any rescue efforts being needed.”

They said the ice jam has broken and the river is flowing normally at the time of their post in the early hours Saturday.

According to NOAA, ice jams (also known as ice dams) are “chunks of ice clump together to block the flow of a river. This can cause flooding in communities near the river.”