Flooding and high winds may pose some challenges in the coming days.
U.S. 6 remained closed just west of Nappanee, as of Thursday morning, due to high water. Indiana State Police expect the closure to last for several days, leading to traffic issues in the surrounding area. Drivers are reminded to avoid flooded roads and not to drive around barricades.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for parts of the St. Joseph and Elkhart rivers. The Elkhart River reached flood stage at Goshen Thursday morning and is expected to fall back below flood stage Saturday. The St. Joseph River is expected to be in flood stage at South Bend from Friday morning to Saturday morning. In both cases, flooding is expected to be minor, mainly affecting nearby parks.
Elkhart County Emergency Management Agency Director Jennifer Tobey says she’s actually seeing more flooding in the southern part of the county, in places with a high water table. “So we have set up our sandbagging stations and have encouraged people that normally see a little bit of flooding this time of year to exercise their right to fill some sandbags to help the situation out, as necessary,” Tobey said.
Additionally, a High Wind Warning has been issued for all of Michiana for Friday, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour possible. The National Weather Service says that can blow down trees and power lines and make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles.
With no severe thunderstorms in Friday's forecast, Tobey expects the damage to be minimal, but she says local fire departments should be prepared. “Obviously, if they catch a fire, then it can cause a quicker spread,” Tobey explained.
She encourages residents to report any trees that do end up falling on local roadways.
The flooding and high winds are just the latest hazards during this Severe Weather Preparedness Week. An EF-2 tornado is believed to have traveled nearly 15 miles across Starke County on Tuesday night, after the same system caused the deaths of two people in Newton County.
