Shelters open in Ind., Mich., as waters rise
Flood warnings were in effect Wednesday in the Midwest and South from Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio to Texas and Louisiana.
Shelters ELKHART, IND. — were open to assist people forced from their homes by flooding in Indiana and Mich- igan 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, Illi- nois 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 traf- fic be limited to first respond- ers and emergency person- nel. 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,” 15-year-old Madison Schmidt, who was evacuated from her home in Elkhart to a shelter at a church, told The Elkhart Truth newspaper. “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 flood- ing 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.
Officials haven’t yet esti- mated the extent of building damage, which is concentrated in low-lying areas.
Other parts of the Midwest were under winter weather advisories on Thursday, with Kansas school districts and universities canceling classes and many state employees being told to stay home.
In Michigan, states of emer- gency were declared in the Lansing area as officials recommended the evacuations of several neighborhoods. City officials said anyone living in the possible flood areas should temporarily leave their home by midday Thursday.
“While the rain has stopped, we are expecting significant flooding,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said.
Flooding also hit nearby Michigan State University , where some roads, parking lots and athletic fields were covered by water from the Red Cedar River that runs through its East Lansing campus. Classes in several buildings have been relocated and the school put up sand- filled barriers in an attempt to curb flooding.
“Be careful if you’re trying to come to campus,” Schor said Wednesday, noting the river was at its highest levels since 1975. “Changing condi- tions are affecting not only the roads but sidewalks and walkways.”