Evacuations may be possible for people living in Southern Indiana, as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists warned that the East Fork White River at Seymour was set to reach major flood stage overnight on Thursday.
Originally, the river was set to crest at 18.9 feet, just below the major flood stage of 19 feet, but updated forecasts show the river surging past the major flood level to 19.3 feet.
“At 19.0 feet, A major flood is in progress,” the flood warning said. “Evacuations may be necessary near Rockford, near Brownstown and at Shields Town. Shields Town is located about 6 miles west of Seymour and according to local residents is a collection of river cabins. At this level residents generally leave. Many roads are flooded, including Lower Rockford Road just south of Reddington Road. Seventy percent of the flood plain in Jackson County is underwater, an agricultural disaster during the growing season.”
The river is not likely to fall out of major flood stage until late Friday morning, NWS meteorologist Alexander McGinnis told Newsweek. It will remain in moderate flood stage through the weekend.
NWS meteorologists have issued a slew of flood warnings across Indiana and nearby statesas excessive rainfall pummels the region on Thursday. The surge of rainfall is causing rivers and streams to rise across the nation. In some cases, as much as a month of rain could fall over a period of only a few days. As of Thursday morning, 33 rivers in the United States were classified as being in minor flood stage, and five were currently in moderate flood stage, with more expected to reach that level as rain continued throughout the day.
The National Water Center describes minor flood stage as flooding that can cause “minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat.” Moderate flooding is more serious, as inundation could occur in structures or roads near streams. Evacuations are possible at this level of flooding, depending on the river, and people might need to transfer property to higher elevations.
At major flood stage, there is “extensive inundation of structures and roads, significant evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher elevations.”
Many of the flooded rivers are located in the Midwest, with most in the southern half of Indiana. A few other rivers in Indiana are also expected to rise near major flood stage. For example, the Haw Creek near Clifford is expected to crest at 15.1 feet, and the major flood stage occurs at 15.5 feet. Mill Creek near Cataract will likely crest at 21.7 feet on Friday afternoon, according to forecasts, and the major flood stage occurs at 22.6 feet.
Widespread flood warnings have also been issued across the Midwest and Southern Plains.
Oklahoma Flood Warnings
NWS meteorologists issued various flood alerts across southeastern Oklahoma, including a flash flood warning that’s in effect for southwestern Latimer County, southeastern Pittsburg County, and northwestern Pushmataha County after as much as 4 inches of rain fell in a short period.
An additional 1.5 inches is expected, exacerbating flood conditions.
Missouri Flood Warnings
Some scattered flood warnings were issued across Missouri amid concerns that some rivers in the state might reach minor or moderate flood stage by Friday.
Illinois Flood Warnings
Parts of southern Illinois were under flood warnings on Thursday, with a flood watch issued for a more widespread area.
“Streams continue to rise due to excess runoff from earlier rainfall. It will take several hours for all the water from these storms to work through local drainage systems in urban areas,” a flood warning issued for the area said. “Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.”
Kentucky Flood Warnings
Small portions of northwestern and northern Kentucky also fell under the flood-impacted areas.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” NWS Paducah, Kentucky, said in a flood warning.
Ohio Flood Warnings
A large portion of southern Ohio also received excessive rainfall, with flood watches and warnings issued across the region.
“Soils remain moist and excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” one flood watch issued in southern Ohio said. “Showers and some thunderstorms will move across the region today. Rainfall upwards of 1 to 2 inches is expected today.”
West Virginia Flood Warnings
As of late Thursday morning, there were no flood warnings in West Virginia, although flood watches are in place for the western part of the state.
“Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible,” the alert said.
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