Flood in Starke County, Indiana

Extensive flooding occurred across the county as rivers, creeks, streams and ditches could not keep up with the flood waters. Water was reported to be so high and fast that many ditches were breaking, allowing the water to spill onto roads and other areas. A levee on the Yellow River west of State Route 39 and south of State Route 8 was breached, causing extensive damage to the levee and increased flooding downstream. Portions of State Routes 8, 39, 10 and 23 as well as countless county roads were closed due to high water. Damage is estimated in excess of 1.2 million dollars.

A slow release of a snow pack, containing one to over two inches of water, occurred in the days leading to the event which started the process of river rises in many areas. Low pressure tracked from northwest Iowa into northern Lower Michigan, which ushered in a rapid warmup and equally rapid release of any remaining water in the snow-pack. Several rounds of rain occurred between the 19th and 21st of February across the region, fed by record high precipitable water levels (by February standards) in the 1.3 to 1.5 inch range. A swath of four to six inches of rain fell northwest of a Logansport to Kendallville line. All these factors combined to cause extensive flooding on several rivers in the St Joseph, Kankakee and Upper Wabash river basins, with record crests occurring on some rivers. These water levels forced evacuations of homes and closure of businesses and schools, rescues from those driving into flood waters and an overwhelming of water treatment facilities in a few communities. While exact damage figures were not available at the time of entry of the data, preliminary data suggests values into the millions (possibly $10 million or higher).