Neighborhood hit by historic floods preparing for another potential threat
ST JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. --- Warmer temperatures and melting snow, coupled with rain could lead to flooding, and some residents in the Jewell Woods neighborhood slammed by historic flooding in 2016 and 2018 said they’re worried about another potential threat.
“Very much so concerned, so much to the point where I have a security camera on the house that’s looking down on the creek just seeing how far it’s up on the culvert,” said Paul Meribela who lives in Jewell Woods neighborhood.
Meribela is one of the homeowners that stuck around the area and has spent the last few years restoring damage left behind from the historic 2016 and 2018 floods.
Even though the area is not expecting anything near what we saw back then, he said this time around he’s hoping to be better prepared.
“I think I’m going to the county garage and I’m going to pick up some sandbags just in case,” added Meribela.
“Think in advance plan in advance we know that we have the potential for some severe flooding coming our way," added Kalee Foreman, St. Joseph County’s Deputy Director of Emergency Management.
After the historic flooding, 12 nearby properties the St. Joseph County labeled as high risk were acquired through FEMA last August.
They have since been demolished and are set to be transformed into green space that could help mitigate future flooding, but in the meantime, officials have encouraged residents in the area to take precautions now.
“So whenever we had the Jewell woods flooding, we made sandbags readily available for those homeowners so they don’t have travel quite as far. The same thing applies there’s sand and there are bags and they do have to self-assemble them but we do want to stress the importance of making sure people are prepared,” said Foreman.
There is still no word yet on just when the transformation for a green space is supposed to happen to help with the future flooding.
But for right now the county is providing free sandbags to residents that can help protect your home against some of that flooding.
You can find a list of all those sandbags pick up spots below:
SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY SANDBAG LOCATIONS
Sandbag Locations at County Highway Garages are available during normal hours of operation 6am-3:30pm
SAND BAGS WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS WHEN FLOODING IS FORECASTED. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BAGS MAY REQUIRE SELF ASSEMBLY. RESIDENTS SHOULD BRING THEIR SHOVELS TO ASSEMBLE THEIR OWN SANDBAGS.
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WARREN FIRE DEPARTMENT – Station #18: 54837 QUINCE ROAD SOUTH BEND 574-232-4028
PENN TOWNSHIP- Station #13: 13750 MCKINLEY MIISHAWAKA
SOUTH BEND STREET DEPARTMENT: 731 S. LAFAYETTE SOUTH BEND 574-235-9244
MISHAWAKA STREET DEPARTMENT: 500 N. CEDAR STREET MISHAWAKA 574-258-1660
CLAY FIRE DEPARTMENT: 18355 AUTEN ROAD, SB 574-272-2144
RIVERSIDE GARAGE : 3301 RIVERSIDE DR, SB 574-277-1020
WOODLAND GARAGE : 15973 NEW ROAD 574-633-4121