Bracing for impact, many devastated by Friday's floods prepare for more storms Tuesday
Jul 20, 2026
Days after flash floods devastated parts of Cincinnati, many in Oakley living along Camberwell Road have piled everything touched by flood waters onto their front yards or thrown it into dumpsters.When we visited Monday, there w
as a sense of urgency to make as much possible under the hot sun before clouds roll in, threatening more severe weather Tuesday.We met retired homeowner Anatasia Afanasieva as she chatted with a neighbor next to a car caked with mud and muck nearly to the roof.WATCH: People try to clean up before more storms arrive Bracing for impact, many devastated by Friday's floods prepare for more storms TuesdayAfanasieva told us her car looked just like it, but it had already been hauled away."Water, furnace, money, money, money," she said while shaking her head. She invited us to look into her mud and sewage-caked basement where a now ruined washer, dryer and other packed-away items still sat. Other items that had already been recovered lay in the front or side yards still to be cleaned."I'm tired," Afanasieva said.Those living as much as 20 feet uphill weren't spared either.Rachel Kramier talked with us as she pulled clothes out of her basement and hung them on trees or spread them in the yard."It seemed like a normal storm, and then I saw my neighbor across the street running down the street shirtless, and I said, okay, I need to check the basement," Kramier said.On nearby Brotherton Road, we found Josh McCarthy, owner of Hee Hauling Junk Removal, helping people clear out years of collected valuables, photos and more."We've been seeing a lot of people just struggling, in need," he said. McCarthy said he has been and will continue to offer junk removal while only charging the cost of business while the recovery continues.We asked him if people were rushing to prepare for more nasty weather."Absolutely," he said. "My phone is ringing off the hook."Still, he pledged to help people impacted by Friday's floods. McCarthy said he can be contacted at 513-546-0347 or through the company's Facebook page.
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