While engineers finish plans to curb flooding of the Blanchard River, citizens of Ottawa are taking a proactive approach by improving planning and early warning systems.
Officials and concerned citizens met with National Weather Service meteorologists and hydrologists Wednesday morning in hopes of improving their preparedness ahead of spring rains. New flood modeling systems have drastically improved flood forecasting accuracy in recent years, but the system is still vulnerable to a lack of data. According to the NWS, that is when citizens need to become involved in the processes.
Officials expect a public meeting with the Army Core of Engineers to be held in late May. Early conversations with engineers have lead officials to be optimistic. Most of the flood control will involve digging diversion channels and the elimination of some properties.
The mayor's of Ottawa and Findlay will be traveling to Cincinnati to visit the Army Core of Engineers on April 24th to stress the importance of solving the flooding deliema.
