Quite a few of us were caught off guard on Thursday night. We shouldn’t allow that to happen.

Just as the deep snow and thick ice that were laid down by a winter storm several days ago were beginning to melt, another storm rolled into the region. This time, though, it brought rain — and a lot of it. Some reports indicated that was much as 2 inches of rain fell in just a few hours in some locations.

The result?

The saturated and frozen ground refused to absorb the falling rain. Massive amounts of water ran off as it hit the ground, overwhelming some streams and low-lying areas.

The worst of the local flooding seems to have occurred in Harrison County. There, vehicles were trapped on flooded roadways and homes were surrounded and even inundated with rising water.

Volunteer firefighters and other first responders were — as always — ready to help. The Bowerston Volunteer Fire Department has a water rescue team that sprang into action. Those volunteers rescued at least 36 people and 14 pets, including one rabbit.

In the surrounding counties of Belmont, Jefferson and Monroe, heavy rain fell and water rose as well. It seems, however, that the situation did not become quite so dangerous or dramatic. Instead, roads were closed, mostly due to flooding.

In Monroe County, high winds brought down trees and limbs that also closed roads. And in southern Belmont County, a major slip brought rocks and debris down on Ohio 148, making it impassable. Fortunately, no deaths or serious injuries were reported.

Let’s keep it that way as we transition from winter to spring.

It is not unlikely that we will experience more snow and ice before the season ends. We almost certainly will have more heavy rain in the coming months. And as temperatures rise, thunderstorms and severe weather such as tornadoes will be possible.

Please, make sure you are prepared and monitor weather conditions that really should be expected.