More than 7,500 Gahanna-Jefferson students lost a full school day Thursday after the district canceled all classes due to rising floodwaters that closed major roads across the community.

The district announced the closure early Aug. 20, upgrading from an initial two-hour delay as conditions worsened. New Albany-Plain Local Schools kept its two-hour delay in place but did not close entirely.

"There is prolonged flooding on major roadways and intersections around our community," the district said in its announcement on X. "In some places, the water continues to rise and there are several road closures."

Flash flood emergency across Franklin County

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Franklin County and surrounding areas at approximately 4:45 a.m. Thursday, according to NBC4. The warning, which also covered Fairfield and Licking counties, remained in effect until 8 p.m. Rain totals reached two inches by early morning, with forecasts projecting more than four inches total.

Emergency crews responded to water rescues near Gahanna, along with incidents in Downtown Columbus, North Linden and Grove City. The Ohio Department of Transportation tracked up to nine traffic incidents in Franklin County Thursday morning due to flooding.

In New Albany, police warned motorists of hazardous high water as of 5 a.m., with portions of Morse Road, Beech Road and State Route 161 impacted, according to a city alert.

Regional closures

Gahanna-Jefferson was one of at least 10 central Ohio districts that closed entirely Thursday, 10TV reported. Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Whitehall and several Licking County districts also shut down.

The closure comes early in the 2026-27 school year for Gahanna-Jefferson. Superintendent Dr. Tracey Deagle's office has not announced whether the missed day will need to be made up.

Families should check the district website at gahannaschools.org for updates on the Aug. 21 schedule.