Ohio River to stay above flood stage most of week after crest at highest level in 2 decades

Forecasters expect the Ohio River to remain above flood stage for most of this week after reaching its highest level in two decades.

The National Weather Service says the river was at 57.1 feet Monday morning, after cresting Sunday morning at 57.7 feet. That was 7 feet below the 1997 level that caused severe, widespread flooding in the Cincinnati area and in Kentucky.

Melted snow and rainfalls have caused flooding that swamped roads, businesses and homes in scattered low-lying areas in the Cincinnati region that includes southeast Indiana and northern Kentucky.

Forecasters say the river will be above its 52-foot flood stage until late Thursday.

Officials in the village of New Richmond some 20 miles southeast of Cincinnati say at least five homes flooded.