Emergency management departments in Michiana prepare for rainy days ahead

BAUGO TOWNSHIP, Ind. – With several inches of rain possible through Thursday, emergency management officials across Michiana say they’re keeping a close eye on area lakes, streams, and rivers prone to flooding.

Officials don’t expect any of the area’s major rivers to flood, but they say small creeks and streams could flood and wash out low-lying areas.

Jennifer Tobey, Elkhart County’s emergency management director, says people who live in those areas need to prepare.

Tobey suggests people stock up on a three day supply of food, water, batteries, first-aid supplies, and personal items. She adds people should fill sandbags and check their sump-pumps.

“We don’t have eyes on the entire county,” said Tobey. “What we encourage people to do is if they start seeing water inside their home, let us know. The more homes that are impacted, the more water we get, that ramps up our awareness and our response to what we’re going to do to deal with it.”

Tobey and emergency management officials in St. Joseph, Berrien, and Cass counties do not believe this rain will bring any flooding similar to 2018. However, the departments say they will continue to talk to the National Weather Service and monitor the rain and water levels.

“The responders can’t attend to every single home individually, so we need them [homeowners] to take care of themselves first, communicate back to us, and then as the impact of the flooding, should it happen, grows, we’ll come together in a unified command and target all the players in place to deal with as many homes as we can,” said Tobey.