Downpours lead to flooding fears

April 25, 2011|By John Paul (jpaul@wsbt.com), Click here to follow John on Twitter | By John Paul (jpaul@wsbt.com), Click here to follow John on Twitter

ELKHART COUNTY — The Elkhart River has not reached flood stage yet, but people all too familiar with flooding are watching and waiting.

When Robin Curran purchased her Elkhart County home one year ago, she looked forward to the good times with her daughter, Sierra. Now she's preparing for the bad.

"We are a very high-risk area, so the pros outweigh the cons," Curran said.

Curran has heard the stories about the rising waters in the Decamp Gardens development from neighbors. In fact, she says there's a reminder from that flood inside her home.

"You can still see the mark in our basement," said Curran.

As raindrops fall, Robin is waiting to see how much rain is on the way and how much the ground will absorb.

"My neighbors told me, ‘I'll let you know when to worry,’" said Curran who pointed to a tree-covered island in the middle of the Elkhart River. "’When that island is covered, that's when you worry.’"

Levels in the Elkhart River have risen, but there's still a long way to go.

The National Weather Service said Elkhart River's flood stage at the Goshen location is 7 feet. The observed stage on Monday was 4.6 feet.

The forecast for the rest of the week shows the greatest potential for any flooding will be Wednesday afternoon when the river is expected to crest at 6 feet. Levels are expected to drop later in the week.

Elkhart County's Emergency Management Department has sand available for bagging in case water exceeds its banks.

Like Robin, the department will wait and see what happens.

"Keeping an eye," said Curran. "It comes and goes with the territory."

|

|

|