Fierce Flooding, Evacuations Under Way In 2 Indiana Counties
Pastor Dale Morgan
Fierce Flooding, Evacuations Under Way In 2 Indiana Counties*
Hundreds Told To Leave Homes Near Oakdale Dam
POSTED: 6:57 am EST January 8, 2008
UPDATED: 9:20 am EST January 8, 2008
MONTICELLO, Ind. -- Mandatory evacuations were under way early Tuesday
morning in two counties because of fierce flooding caused by heavy rains
overnight.
Evacuations were ongoing in White and Carroll counties. In White County,
communities affected included Buffalo and Wolcott, where police said
there were reports of stranded vehicles on local roads.
White County Emergency Management director Gordon Cochran said boats
were called out to assist in the evacuations and that Monticello, Blue
Water Beach and Diamond Point were being evacuated.
Evacuees were being taken to the White County Emergency Management
Office and a nearby Best Western hotel, officials said.
Many county roads were flooded and some were washed out, including
Indiana 16 east of Monon, officials said.
In Carroll County, a dispatcher said there were hundreds of people being
evacuated below the Oakdale Dam, just south of Lake Freeman on the
Tippecanoe River, about 25 miles north of Lafayette.
Officials said a little under 100 homes need to be evacuated from that
area. Some of those homes are seasonal and are not occupied right now,
officials said.
Some county roads were washed away, according to Carroll County officials.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for the area along
the Tippecanoe River and along the Elkhart and St. Joseph Rivers in
northern Indiana.
NWS also reported near-record flooding at the Norway Dam.
As much as 5 inches of rain fell overnight in the area, and more rain
was falling Tuesday morning.
More Heavy Rain, Strong To Severe Storms Possible
There will not be a break in the weather pattern on Tuesday.
The frontal system poised to move through Indiana will not do so until
Tuesday evening. Ahead of that front, more strong to severe
thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected through the evening hours.
Gradually, the heaviest rain should push south of the flooded areas.
Strong winds, damaging hail and the possibility of a tornado or two are
expected through Tuesday evening. The storm threat is primarily from
Indianapolis southward.
More seasonable temperatures and drier conditions are expected on
Wednesday and the rest of the week.