Flood — Allen, Indiana

2003-07-05 to 2003-07-14 · Allen, Indiana

Event narrative

The St. Marys river at Decatur reach a record crest of 26.94 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet. Emergency management reported nearly 200 homes damaged with some business and public facility damage.The St. Marys river in Fort Wayne went into major flood downstream from Decatur where the St. Marys had reached a record crest. Emergency management reported damage to 213 private structures and 8 to 10 businesses and numerous public facilities. The Wabash river in Bluffton reached the second highest crest on record at 18.3 feet. Flood stage is 10 feet. Emergency management reported an estimated damage amount for homes and business as well as damage to infrastructure. One man died near Bluffton along the Wabash river when checking his fields. His 4 wheeler got too close to the river and floated. He fell off his vehicle and was swept down the river and drowned.

Wider weather episode

Flash flooding and record river flooding occurred over the southern sections of the Northern Indiana County Warning Area starting July 4th and 5th with river flooding abating by July 14th. Areas from southwest of Fort Wayne, IN to Fort Wayne, Van Wert, OH and Lima, OH received an average of 8 inches of rain during the event, with the St. Marys river basin receiving nearly 15 inches of rain. The majority of the rain fell from July 4th to the 8th as weak upper level impulses moved along a stalled boundary just south of Fort Wayne.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5373346. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.