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CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Cincinnati leaders are still looking for ways to solve the city’s flooding issues as residents and businesses continue to deal with sewage contamination and flood damages from July’s historic rainfall.
Between 5 and 6 inches of rain accumulated in East End neighborhoods on July 17, resulting in sewer backup, manhole overflows, and basement and street flooding. The area was hit hard with a second round of heavy rainfall and flash floods three days later.
During Tuesday’s Climate, Environment & Infrastructure Committee meeting, residents were hoping to get answers to their problems.
Jacob Bailey and his family moved to Hyde Park about eight weeks ago. He says the floods cost them about $15,000 in losses, including one of their vehicles.
“It was a big move for us. I’m getting emotional because I really thought moving here, I was helping my family get a life with more opportunity,” Bailey told city council members. “The amount of loss we’ve had is not only money, but also security. My kids can’t play in our back yard because it’s contaminated with human waste. It’s been two weeks since the flooding. We still haven’t had anyone out to clean up the waste.”
Some Mt. Lookout businesses have not received help from the city either, and have been hit several times by flooding in the past, according to Brian Spitler, President of the Mt. Lookout Community Council.
The Crystalary, located on Delta Avenue, has been closed since July 17, Spitler says.
“Mt. Lookout has been raising the alarm about stormwater and sewer flooding for more than seven years,” he said. “We flagged inadequate drainage as new development went in, and warned that our aging sewers couldn’t keep up. This is not new.”
Bailey warns that if action is not taken soon, this is “something that could kill” neighborhoods like Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout.
“If people start moving out, the people that can afford to sell their properties at a loss will, property values will plummet, businesses will leave. That’s how you start a death spiral on a community,” he said.
Like Bailey, John Meninger with the Hyde Park Community Council is looking for a solution, especially since flooding is a recurring issue.
“We would like the conversation to move to a proactive approach to handling this,” Meninger says. “We understand that while these extreme events may not be able to be handled, there should be a plan towards a resilience system that can handle things that exceed a designed event.”
Council member Seth Walsh, who was frustrated with the city’s response to the floods, says a solution could cost the city billions.
“At some point, if you’re one of these residents … [flooding is] happening over and over and over. The answer to this problem is going to cost us billions of dollars and decades to repair,” Walsh said. “We gotta get really really proactive now.”
Families dealing with sewage backups say more affluent neighborhoods get faster response(WXIX)
An apartment building’s basement in Hyde Park flooded due to extreme rainfall on July 17, 2026.(Mary LeBus/FOX19 NOW)
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City council members passed a motion that would require the administration to evaluate long-term solutions for flooding, such as green infrastructure, improving stormwater systems and modernizing flood gates.
An amendment was also added so that the Metropolitan Sewer District could implement a surface charge on developers, which could address runoff from water-resistant surfaces.
As for federal assistance, Cincinnati Asst. Fire Chief Matt Flagler says it likely will not come because the damage – which was severe – does not qualify for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
However, Flagler says the city is still reaching out to other state and federal entities to help with recovery efforts.
Climate change is creating stronger storms, more flooding
Data from the city’s Office of Environment and Sustainability indicates storm intensity and rainfall accumulation have worsened in Cincinnati, likely because of climate change.
According to a city presentation, rainfall has increased by 10% from 1970 to 2025, and the annual precipitation has increased by 0.26 inches per decade since 1896.
On top of that, rainfall is becoming more localized, hovering over certain parts of the city, like Madisonville, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Oakley and Kennedy Heights.
“The world is getting warmer. Cincinnati is getting warmer,” says Oliver Kroner with the Office of Environment and Sustainability. “We also experience what is called the urban heat island effect … and with heat, you see evaporation and concentrations of water in the atmosphere.”
Kroner says that for every 1-degree increase, there is a 4% increase in water vapor, the fuel for a storm.
“These three factors together shape our future,” Kroner said. “We will have to be very intentional and strategic in our adaptation strategies to prepare for the future.”
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What comes next?
Flood recovery is still ongoing, along with frustration from residents and businesses.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval previously announced $1 million set aside to help those impacted by the floods. City council will vote on that measure Wednesday.
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