Floods cripple states in Midwest
Heavy rain and melting snow wreak havoc along rivers
ELKHART, Ind. — Shelters were open to assist people forced from their homes by flooding in Indiana and Michigan on Thursday, as rivers swollen by heavy rain and melting snow continue to rise in the Midwest.
Flood warnings were in effect across a wide swath of the central and southern U.S., from Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio to Texas and Louisiana. The American Red Cross said it has opened eight shelters in northern Indiana, where crews used boats to help residents evacuate their homes.
Local officials declared a state of emergency in three local cities and asked that traffic be limited to first responders and emergency personnel. Indiana University-South Bend canceled Thursday classes, and residents of a student apartment complex surrounded by water were encouraged to leave.
“I ended up grabbing my favorite blanket and stuffed animals,” said 15-year-old Madison Schmidt, who was evacuated from her home in Elkhart to a shelter at a church. “I got into the boat. Seeing what happened, just almost made me cry.”
Record-high flooding along the St. Joseph River closed down a wastewater treatment plant for several hours in South Bend, a city of about 100,000 residents. It later restarted at limited capacity. The National Weather Service reported the river was expected to stay above its major flood stage until Tuesday.
“This remains major flooding and it’s going to be that for a while as water from the whole county continues draining into the river, even though the rains are mostly behind us,” South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said.
Other parts of the Midwest were under winter weather advisories on Thursday, with Kansas school districts and universities canceling classes.