Two kayakers, chihuahua rescued from Hoover Reservoir after Sunday afternoon storms

Two kayakers and a dog were rescued from Hoover Reservoir in Westerville after heavy storms passed through the central Ohio Sunday afternoon.

Westerville Fire Chief Brian Miller said three people were kayaking — one with their chihuahua — at about 4 p.m. when the storms entered the region. The wind blew one of the kayakers to shore, and officials rescued two people and the dog from a capsized kayak.

"The wind caught them off guard," Miller said, adding no one suffered injuries.

What is Hoover Reservoir?

Hoover Reservoir is an over 4,000 acre park that spans Delaware and Franklin counties and includes a lake, which is a popular site for boating and fishing. On March 18, one person died and another hurt when their fishing boat capsized.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service in Wilmington had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several Ohio and Indiana counties, including the area around Hoover Reservoir. Meteorologists said damaging wind, torrential rain and hail were possible.

More storms are forecast Monday in Central Ohio. The NWS said severe storms are possible Monday afternoon into early evening, and again late Monday night.

Damaging winds are the main threat from the storms, and the area with the greatest chance of storms will be along and north of Interstate 70, the NWS said.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Two kayakers, chihuahua rescued from Hoover Reservoir after Sunday afternoon storms