T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Perkins Field, home of the Bridgeport Bulldogs, is flooded Wednesday. Nearby Wheeling Creek is expected to rise further as the Ohio River floods.

BRIDGEPORT — More than 4 inches of rain fell across most of Belmont County from Monday through Wednesday, leading to flash flooding and hillside slips with the Ohio River expected to crest 5 feet above flood stage at Wheeling today.

Information released by the Belmont County Emergency Management Agency indicates that six monitoring stations recorded more than 4 inches of rain over those three days. At Colerain, 4.45 inches fell; St. Clairsville 4.49 inches; Wolfhurst 4.13 inches; Barnesville 4.23 inches; Powhatan Point 4.11 inches; and Yorkville 4.25 inches. A Shadyside monitoring station showed 3.74 inches there, with 3.55 inches recorded at Somerton.

The heaviest rainfall occurred Tuesday, with 2.76 inches recorded that day at Wolfhurst.

Numerous roads in Eastern Ohio were closed Wednesday due to flooding and slips that resulted from the string of storms. On Wednesday morning, the EMA reported that McMillan Road, Badgersburg Road, Ohio 148 at two locations, Ohio 149 near Glencoe, Pipe Creek Road near Jacobsburg, Barton-Crescent Road, Jug Run near Maynard, Miller Road near Lafferty, Boydsville Road and Muller Road near Lafferty all were closed due to flooding. Hell’s Kitchen Road outside St. Clairsville was closed by a slip. And Ohio 7 and Howard Hill were restricted but passable.

The Ohio Department of Transportation reported that roads all across central and southeastern Ohio were closed as a result of weather impacts including high water levels and debris.

“In light of this, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) urges drivers to exercise caution when driving and to check OHGO.com for the most up-to-date information regarding road conditions,” ODOT announced in a release Wednesday. “ODOT crews have been busy all day cleaning up debris and setting barricades and signage for closures and restrictions.”

OHGO.com showed Ohio 331 closed between Holloway and Piedmont, Ohio 800 closed near Freeport and Ohio 78 closed near the Ohio River among many other closures.

Several people apparently ignored the high water and drove into areas where they became stranded and had to be rescued.

OHGO.com showed Ohio 331 closed between Holloway and Piedmont, Ohio 800 closed near Freeport and Ohio 78 closed near the Ohio River among many other closures.

Several people apparently ignored the high water and drove into areas where they became stranded and had to be rescued.

“You are putting yourself and rescuers at risk,” the Belmont County EMA posted on its Facebook page. “TURN AROUND. DON’T DROWN.”

OR&W Fire Chief R.C. Fellows shared a similar message: “The water is rising throughout the Ohio Valley. Please do not drive through any standing water as it could be dangerous.”

ODOT relayed a similar message and reminded drivers to watch for washouts from driveways and gravel roads that could create hazards on paved roads.

The high water also caused headaches for the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District, where the Perkins Field athletic complex was inundated on Wednesday.

“We knew this was possible when we decided to move back to Perkins Field,” Superintendent Brent Ripley said, referring to a project to revamp the stadium and complex after the original stands were condemned largely due to water damage. “It’s good to be home.”

Ripley said the district took measures to help reduce potential future flood damage when the stands were replaced. Among the precautions were anchoring the bleachers into the ground and adding a backflow preventer to the plumbing inside buildings at the site.

This week, though, Ripley said many people came together to help prepare for flooding.

“We knew the water would rise, so multiple members of staff and the community volunteered to empty the fieldhouse,” Ripley said, adding that Jason Wilson of Wilson’s Furniture store loaned the district a U-Haul truck from his rental business to help them get everything out of the fieldhouse and to higher ground.

The Brookside Volunteer Fire Department, located along National Road just outside of the stadium, also began taking on water on Wednesday. Fire Chief Allan Ketzell III had said that preparations for flooding began Tuesday. He made space in his own personal garage for items that needed to be removed from the firehouse.

The Ohio River reached its 36-foot flood stage at Wheeling on Wednesday afternoon and is predicted to crest at 41.7 feet at about 8 p.m. today, according to NWS Pittsburgh Meteorologist Jarred Rackley.

The southern tip of Wheeling Island, including Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Wheeling Island Stadium, began to flood Wednesday evening with the casino closing its doors to customers.

Rainfall is expected to decline for the rest of the week, according to Rackley. Only a quarter inch of rainfall is forecast for today through Sunday. Rackley added that the additional rain is “not too much to worry about” since the crest Thursday will result largely from the heavy rainfall Monday through Wednesday.

The biggest impact in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia on Wednesday from the overnight rain was a massive landslide that covered most of W.Va. 2 right in the Warwood area.

Wheeling Fire Department spokesman Philip Stahl said by mid-Wednesday morning, only a sliver of W.Va. 2 remained clear, enough for utility trucks and emergency vehicles to squeeze through. The rest was buried under tons of dirt and downed trees. Some trees tangled power lines, pulling utility poles down in the process.

Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier said there was no estimate Wednesday morning as to when the road would get cleared.

Another notable landslide occurred at the Mount Zion Cemetery, uprooting and moving multiple headstones. The cleanup timeline for the Mount Zion mudslide is also unknown.

Staff writers Gage Vota and Emma Delk contributed to this report.