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Little Miami River at Loveland, Ohio

Flood Information and Tracking Resources

This information applies in general to the Little Miami River floodplain in Loveland, Ohio,
and in particular to Maple Avenue, where we live.

Updated January 13, 2018


NOAA Depth Gauges

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) depth gauges show the current and projected depth of a body of water at a specified location. The projections appear to be generated automatically and are fairly accurate. They tend to estimate high, but if the projection is anything approaching a flood, check your nearest gauge often.

USGS Depth Gauges

USGS (U.S. Geologial Survey) gauges do the same thing as NOAA gauges but are a little more complicated. As shown below, the Caesar Creek Dam gauge is very important for anyone south of the dam.


Caesar Creek Dam

Caesar Creek dam is a flood-control dam upriver from Loveland. Two agencies have a role in this dam. I'm not certain of their exact roles, but it appears that ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) manages the lake and park above the dam as a recreation area. The Army Corps of Engineers appears to control the lake and the dam itself as a water resource.

When water is released from the dam during a flood, the surge raises the river level several feet. The Corps of Engineers will not release water once the river is at flood stage. When the river is below flood stage, they decide day by day whether they will release water from the dam. Flood stage for the river at Milford is 17 feet. Maple Avenue floods when the Milford gauge reaches about 21 feet.

In March 2008, the river crested at a little over 21 feet at Milford after a release from Caesar Creek. The flood on Maple Avenue was less than a foot, but enough to cause damage. Our current plan is to call the Army Corps when the Milford gauge projects a depth of 15 feet or more to find out whether they plan to release water from the dam.

  • Army Corps of Engineers (control of dam):
  • ODNR (lake and park management): 513-897-3055

FEMA Flood insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)

FIRMs determine flood-insurance rates. They also show the 100-year flood line, the elevation below which banks require flood insurance on buildings mortgaged to them. FEMA calculates that, during any given year, there is a 1% chance of that a flood will reach this elevation. Note that FEMA's online FIRM service is slow and difficult to use.

If you live in the flood plain, the FIRM that includes your house determines absolutely and without recourse the basis for your flood insurance premium based on the structure of your house. You may feel your premium is too high. If so, you have work to do. I guarantee you that no one, not your insurance agent, not the city, not FEMA, not the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), not your insurance company's flood agency, no one will give you the straight and complete story. You have to figure it out on your own.

If you like, feel free to contact me. I have extensive and painfully learned experience in how to find other ways to reduce your premium.

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