The latest on Summit County floods: Akron police say stay in place, I-76/US 224 closed

Central Summit County was hit by floods Thursday evening as storms swept through the area.

Akron police issued an alert for those living in the Merriman Valley area to either evacuate to a safe place or shelter in place due to flooding.

Friday updates: Most Akron roads reopen, Merriman Valley left a muddy mess

Interstate 76/U.S. 224 was closed in both directions as of 10:15 p.m. about a mile beyond Barber Road due to flooding. The traffic delay as of that time was more than half an hour.

Floods were reported across Akron and surrounding suburbs, including in West Akron, Bath, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton and Silver Lake.

'I don't even know where to start': Business owners, residents react after Akron floods

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Summit County at 9:15 p.m. that was in effect until 1:15 a.m. Friday. Affected areas included Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Hudson, Tallmadge, Streetsboro, Stow, Norton, Fairlawn, Munroe Falls, Silver Lake, Boston Heights and Montrose-Ghent, the NWS said.

The NWS said between 3 and 4.5 inches of rain fell as of 9:15 p.m. Thursday evening. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches were possible in the area.

The storm also led to cancellation of the John Legend and Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom Music Center Thursday night.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The latest on Summit County floods: Akron police say stay in place, I-76/US 224 closed