ORRVILLE, Ohio — Streets were clear and traffic was flowing in Orrville Friday, a big difference from what the town looked like Thursday night when flooding started.
Around 7 p.m., rain started falling in the area. Two hours later, Orrville Fire and Rescue received calls for rescue.
"We did about 12 rescues of people that were stranded," Orrville Fire Chief Chris Bishop said. "We had people stranded in cars, an elevator rescue. Then, we had a couple of collapses. Basements had collapsed with the amount of water going in."
By 2 a.m., those calls grew to 35. Bishop said about 20 people were displaced. There were no casualties.
The National Weather Service estimates about seven inches fell in the area. Bishop said he hasn't seen anything like this since the late 1960s.
"I don't remember a flood like this since that time period," he said. "It just came down."
Orrville local Adam Brooks said it was a shock to him. A few inches of water in the basement quickly turned into a few feet.
"The window just broke open and then it was like a literal waterfall into our basement," he said. "We've got a line of debris on the wall and we measured 34 inches."
News 5 caught up with Brooks as he was cleaning up. He was deciding what could stay and what should go while getting pictures for the insurance company. Most of his items were covered in mud.
"We're guessing a lot of it is going to be thrown out," he said. "The biggest thing is going to be the washer and dryer."
He realized it could have been a lot different.
Bishop hopes it will be a long time before something like this happens again, and the night will act as a safety reminder.
"We always say 'turn around, don't drown,'" he said.
