From mid-January through early March of 2015, frigid and much below normal temperatures set the stage for ice jam development along rivers and creeks in the Lake Erie drainage basin. Nearly every climate station in the Cleveland WFO region saw their coldest February on record in 2015. As a result,  Lake Erie was 98% frozen by early March. The lake is the mouth for almost all of northern Ohio and Pennsylvania rivers and creeks. When the lake is ice covered, it becomes a barrier to the natural outflow of the rivers.
Going into March the area had a widespread and significant snowpack based on regional climatology. The snowpack was heaviest across the snowbelt where the average depth was two to three feet.  Elsewhere the snowpack had compacted to eight inches or less. A survey conducted by NWS Cleveland employees shortly before the thaw revealed the snow water equivalent in the snowpack to be one to two inches west and south of Cleveland, and three to five inches in the snowbelt to the east.
By the middle of March temperatures began to warm.  A result of the warming was that by the end of the second week of March the snowpack was mostly gone except in the snowbelt. The runoff from this snowmelt began to raise river levels and break up the ice sheets that had accumulated along most northern Ohio and Pennsylvania Rivers. Numerous ice jams formed during this time, however no flooding impacts were reported.
A rain event moved along the Ohio River on the 13th resulting in rapid runoff in the region. The rainfall was not substantial in the Lake Erie basins, with amounts near a trace in the Maumee River near Toledo, to three quarters of an inch in the Cuyahoga Basin near Cleveland. Though not significant, the rainfall was sufficient enough to raise river levels. For those rivers experiencing ice jams, the increased flow was forced to back up and out of the river banks. The ice jams shifted and moved between the 13th through the 18th until the rivers were able to empty into Lake Erie. During that time numerous communities were impacted by the ice jams. Below is a summary of some of those communities.

Flash Flood in ERIE, OHIO
From 14-MAR-15 04:00:00 to 14-MAR-15 10:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: VERMILION
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

On March 11th an ice jam developed on the Vermilion River in the Mill Hollow metropark located just south and upstream of the town of Vermilion. The ice jam was stationary for days as water continued to build behind it, flooding the metropark but no other properties or roads. Around 3:30 am on the morning of the 14th the combination of snowmelt and rainfall caused the ice jam to break. The water levels in the Riverside Drive community of Vermilion saw a rapid water rise. One person had to be rescued from waste deep water around 6 am that morning. Several people in the community had already evacuated due to the heightened awareness from the ice jam flood watch leading up to the ice jam break. A second ice jam developed around Riverside Drive which broke around 930 am. It went in cycles all day long, jamming up and then breaking loose because of all the bends in the river.  About 20 homes sustained minor flooding damage mainly to garages and outer buildings.

Flood in LUCAS, OHIO
From 12-MAR-15 00:00:00 to 16-MAR-15 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: MAUMEE
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 1.30M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

On March 12th an ice jam formed on the Maumee River in Maumee Ohio. The river was frozen from Maumee to the mouth of the river at Lake Erie. The ice jam and subsequent water rises caused the Side Cut Metropark to close and experience record flooding. The road between Jerome Road and an access road east of Riverside Cemetery was damaged by the moving ice and needed repairs. In Maumee the Side Cut Metropark sustained around $50,000 in damages. The Riverside Cemetery is estimated to have sustained $1 million in damages. In Monclova the ice jams damaged two homes on North River Road.   These homes sustained damage from the ice to their decks and exterior. Only one of the two homes had water inundation into the interior.  The waste water treatment plant was impacted by the ice and rising river levels and had to bring in pumps to keep operations going.

Flood in LAKE, OHIO
From 12-MAR-15 09:00:00 to 12-MAR-15 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: WAITE HILL
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

During the overnight hours of the 12th an ice jam developed on the Chagrin River in Willoughby Hills Ohio. The ice backed up in the southern loop of the Chagrin River just west of the Trailard Drive community.  The streets were first overtopped in southwest corner and north east of the Horseshoe Glen subdivision (Trailard Dr.).  About 20 people were voluntarily evacuated after the water levels doubled, rising to 15 feet.  This is the worst it's been since 1977-78, Chris Donovan, a longtime resident who lives on the east portion of Trailard Drive near the river. The initial assessment of the homes indicated marginal flood damage. The water levels did not reach the first floor of most of the homes.

Flood in LAKE, OHIO
From 14-MAR-15 07:00:00 to 14-MAR-15 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: (LNN)WILLOUGHBY ARPT
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 125.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Local Official

The ice jam in Willoughby Hills broke during the early morning hours of the 14th. The water and ice came up fast in the West Island Drive community of Eastlake around 6 am. Around a dozen homes were evacuated. The damages were limited to docks and some low lying basements and garages. The community of Eastlake is especially vulnerable to ice jam flooding because they are at the confluence of the river and Lake Erie. Ice cutters were unable to move any ice at the mouth of the Chagrin River in Eastlake, which contributed to the severity of the ice jams. Despite the lake being ice covered, the river was able to recede by early afternoon on the 14th.

Flood in SANDUSKY, OHIO
From 11-MAR-15 15:00:00 to 15-MAR-15 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: FREMONT PROGRESS ARP
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 20.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The first report of flooding in Fremont was on the afternoon of March 11th. The Emergency Manager reported an ice jam located near the Ballville Dam just south of town, which was causing some flooding along South River Road. The flooding cut off three homes from emergency access but did not enter any of the properties. The flooding lasted for several days as more snowmelt and rain kept the river levels of the Sandusky River high. The ice chunks broke down and began flowing over the dam by Monday the 16th. At that time, the river was able to recede.  Officials report a few water rescues were needed during the period of flood with no injuries or fatalities.

Flood in WOOD, OHIO
From 13-MAR-15 15:00:00 to 16-MAR-15 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: PERRYSBURG
Flood cause: Ice Jam
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 75.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

On March 12th an ice jam formed on the Maumee River. By the 14th the ice had backed in the town of Perrysburg. A farm sustained damages when about two feet of topsoil was removed in an area farm with thousands of dollars in economic loss. The Buttonwood Park in Perrysburg also sustained damages but no buildings were impacted.