Some Columbus residents waited for Tuesday's forecasted severe weather only to walk outside to light rain, deep yellow skies and a double rainbow hanging over the city.
Despite the less severe weather in Columbus, parts of central Ohio may still be flooded for days after Tuesday's storms along the Scioto River and its tributaries. But National Weather Service meteorologists in Wilmington said flooding may have been the biggest impact after the storms were less severe than expected.
National Weather Service meteorologist Julie Reed said flooding in parts of Pickaway and Licking counties may remain a problem until Friday. She said weather may have been less severe in Columbus due to earlier storms.
"So having like several rounds of rain kind of zapped that potential in the environment. It still happened, but not to the scale of what was potential. It was actually the additional rain that kind of saved the area from becoming a more severe type situation," Reed said.
NWS issued a tornado watch for Franklin County Tuesday and later a severe thunderstorm warning for many cities in central Ohio.
Reed said despite the weather being less severe than predicted, the NWS doesn't walk back watches and warnings of severe weather after they're issued so people aren't underestimating an existing threat.
