PARKERSBURG — After several days of steady rain throughout the region, flooding is expected to occur in the Parkersburg area.

The Wood County 911 Center advised using caution after receiving reports Friday morning of flooded roadways, along with heavy ponding of water on the roads.

Among the roads reported as flooded Friday morning were:

∫ 36th Street and Core Road

∫ 4500 block of Stillwell Road

∫ Old Saint Marys Pike and Newbanks Road

∫ Laurel Creek Road (from Old Saint Marys Pike to the 400 block)

∫ 4700 block of Lee Creek Road

∫ 400 block of Lower Pond Creek Road

∫ Waverly Road and Fenton Lane

∫ Big Tygart Creek and Sams Creek Road

The Ohio Department of Transportation said several sections of roadway had been closed due to high water as of Friday afternoon. Those included Ohio 26 between Marietta and the junction of Ohio 260 and between Ohio 260 and the Monroe County line; Ohio 145 between Lower Salem and the Noble County line; and Ohio 821 between Lower Salem and Interstate 77 and between Macksburg and the Noble County line.

As of Friday morning, the National Weather Service in Charleston had extended its flooding warning for small streams until 10 p.m. Friday for Pleasants, Tyler and Wood counties.

According to the weather service, at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Doppler radar showed that rainfall was coming to an end, but streams and creeks were expected to continue rising due to water runoff. Middle Island Creek in Pleasants County was expected to enter moderate flood stage at 16 feet with low-lying secondary roads being flooded.

Locations that were expected to experience flooding included Parkersburg, Belpre, St. Marys, Middlebourne, Vienna, Williamstown, Paden City, Sistersville, Belmont, Washington, Mineral Wells, Lubeck, Boaz, North Hills, Friendly, Alma, Reedsville, Maxwell, Schultz and Lima.

The weather service advised motorists to turn around and not try to cross flooded roadways.

Arthur Beavers, a meteorologist with the weather service, said area rivers are expected to crest above flood stage this weekend. The Ohio River at Parkersburg was forecast to reach flood stage of 36 feet late Friday night or early this morning, he said.

The Ohio will continue to rise and is expected to crest at around 39 feet early Sunday morning, Beavers said.

On other area waterways, Beavers said the Little Kanawha River at Elizabeth is expected to crest at 31 feet, below the flood stage of 36 feet. The Muskingum River at Beverly is expected to reach 31 feet, exceeding the flood stage of 29 feet.

Beavers warned that residents along the smaller rivers not expected to leave their banks should still keep an eye out for high water. When the larger rivers like the Ohio have too much water, they can cause a phenomenon called backflow, which can push the water in the smaller tributaries back and cause them to go higher than expected.

Parkersburg Public Works Director Everett Shears said city crews worked Friday afternoon to install the floodgate at the Point Park entrance in the floodwall.