Flash Flood in White County, Indiana

Snow melt,a partially frozen ground and rainfall ranging from four to seven inches across much of White county, resulted in high water levels behind Norway Dam, forcing the release of record flows through the dam, which at its peak exceeded 26,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) between 8 and 10 am EST on January 8th. A flood emergency was declared around 8 am EST by dam and White County officials and numerous residents south of the dam, including portions of the city of Monticello, were placed under mandatory evactuation orders. Over 100 families were assisted or rescued as flood waters rapidly rose. The Norway Campground, located near the dam, had approximately 70 seasonal occupied trailers that were evacuated. Many of the trailers were destroyed either by the water or being thrown against trees. Numerous roads and a few bridges over the Tippecanoe River either had caution advised or even closed briefly during the peak flow times. Discharge rates were able to be trimmed back below 22,000 cfs during the late morning hours of January 9th, which allowed the threat for the need of additonal evacuations and closures to be reduced. Despite the lower flows, many residents remained evacuated into January 12th. No exact damage figures were available, but are estimated at upwards of 2 million dollars.

An unseasonable moist atmosphere and slow moving cold front set the stage for the training of rain and thunderstorms across much of northern Indiana. In addition, a dense snowpack rapidly melted as a result of the warm temperatures and rainfall, resulting in rapid rises on river and streams as well as widespread problems with flooding of low areas and ditches. Rainfall amounts ranging from a couple inches to locally over 7 inches was reported, with the highest amounts in and around White county.