Rivers reaching minor, moderate flood stage

After seeing a wave of heavy rain Tuesday evening and night, area rivers have really begun to rise. Nearly every single river in Michiana has risen substantially since Monday.

The St. Joseph River in both Niles and South Bend has risen into Action Stage as of Wednesday afternoon. It's expected to continue rising in both locations. The Yellow River in Plymouth is also in Action Stage with a significant rise still projected by Thursday. The Kankakee River in Davis, the Elkhart River in Goshen and the Tippecanoe River at both Ora and Winamac are already in Minor Flood Stage as of early Wednesday afternoon. 

Each river will have its own distinct timeline for when exactly it will crest. You can find more information on each river here. Regardless of when they crest, they are all expected to at least Action Stage over the coming days. Most rivers will get well into Minor Flood Stage and Moderate Flood Stage. 

Rivers expected to reach Moderate Flood Stage include the Elkhart River in Goshen, the Yellow River in Plymouth, the Kankakee River in Davis, and the Tippecanoe River in both Ora and Winamac. Each of those locations will experience water rises and flooding near the river. If flooding has not begun as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, expect that to change over the next 1-3 days as water levels rise. If we see any addition rainfall between Wednesday evening and Thursday night, that would only aggravate the rivers further than already expected. At this time, any rain that could fall is expected to generally be light.

While it likely won't reach the Moderate Flood Stage category, the St. Joseph River in Niles, South Bend, Elkhart, and Three Rivers is expected to reach flood stage. Impacts could certainly be seen near the river in all four of those cities. That is especially true for those locations that typically see flooding issues when the St. Joseph River rises.

By late Sunday and into early next week, all rivers are expected to be below flood stage. The one river that will receded much quicker is the Elkhart River in Goshen, which is expected to be below flood stage as early as Friday afternoon. As always, be sure to avoid flooded roads, sidewalks and parking lots. It doesn't take much moving water to knock a person off their feet or pick up a vehicle.