Cincinnati sees record rainfall in weekend deluge
Flood demonstrates why engineers are rethinking solutions, professor says
A civil engineering professor from the University of Cincinnati was a guest on WVXU's daily program “Cincinnati Edition“ to talk about ways engineers are rethinking how to address increasingly frequent and severe flooding.
A July 17 rainstorm caused extensive flash flooding in parts of Cincinnati. The suburb of Oakley reported that more than 6 inches of rain fell in an hour during the storm, which caused flash flooding that swamped roads and damaged properties.
Former U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO Jean Elizabeth Manes, left, and UC Associate Professor Patrick Ray met in Paris in 2025 after his appointment as UNESCO Chair on Water and Climate Change. Photo/Provided
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor Patrick Ray studies risk management for droughts and floods and serves as UNESCO chair on water and climate change, helping governments and non-governmental organizations make smart decisions about public investments.
He told host Lucy May that engineers are rethinking ways to address the increasingly frequent and damaging storms.
“All of our design standards are based on risk tolerance. How much disaster can we not accommodate in our designs?“ Ray told WVXU.
Ray also spoke to the Cincinnati Enquirer about the storm, which damaged dozens of properties.
According to numbers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the rainfall totals set new records dating back to 1948, Ray said. The six inches of rain smashed the previous record of 5 inches recorded at Lunken Airport.
“That's a catastrophe,“ Ray told the Enquirer. “I don't think you're going to engineer your way out of that.“
Ray said engineers plan for extreme storms, but the rainfall July 17 exceeded 100-year storm standards. To create flood prevention for storms of that magnitude would require fundamental changes in civil engineering in Cincinnati, Ray said.
“We just don't build for that. We just say get out of the way,“ he said.
Ray told WVXU that states, counties and local governments are being more deliberate about flood management, such as replacing hard surfaces with permeable ones that can drain rainwater more quickly and conserve groundwater.
“We have to consider everything,“ Ray said.
Featured image at top: UC Associate Professor Patrick Ray talked to the Cincinnati Enquirer about record flooding in parts of Cincinnati. Photo/Dottie Stover/UC Marketing + Brand
UC Associate Professor Patrick Ray, center, spoke to Cincinnati Edition host Lucy May with fellow segment guest and Cincinnati City Councilman Mark Jeffreys. Photo/Michael Miller
More UC engineering in the news
Some parts of Cincinnati saw six inches of rain fall in an hour in the July 17 storm. Photo/iStockPhoto
- Cincinnati Enquirer: A 1,000-year storm but what's to come?
- Cincinnati Enquirer: A floodgate stayed open in Cincinnati deluge. How much did it matter?
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