Elkhart residents fear flooding from melting snow and incoming rain

 

ELKHART, Ind. -- Warmer temperatures in Michiana have caused a lot of snow to melt-- and left some areas in Elkhart looking water logged.

Near the Elkhart River, areas like Riverwalk Park has seen some water build up-- creating large puddles on the already soaked ground, and while local geese don't seem to mind, some nearby residents are worried there could be some severe flooding, especially with the incoming rain. 

James and Kendra Davis, two Elkhart residents who were out taking a walk, told me that the river is already looking very high for this time of year. While they weren't local when severe flooding hit Elkhart just a few years ago, they did have family that was impacted back in 2018.

“We helped them take everything out of their basements and they had to replace everything, and it was very, very hard on them because there were items with sentimental value that couldn’t be replaced that got ruined,” said Kendra.

"There was a lot of stuff on the streets out here that got thrown away," added James. "People threw stuff away-- I guess they bought new stuff-- but it was ruined. Everything was ruined. The whole neighborhood, everyone just threw stuff away."

James and Kendra suggested that residents looking to protect their homes from flooding should set up sandbags and dig a trench in their yard to keep water away from the house's foundation, and to get as much as they possibly can off the floors to prevent water damage.