St. Joseph River rises into minor flood stage after weeks of heavy rain

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- After two months of above-average rainfall, the St. Joseph River has risen to about 5.5 feet as of Sunday afternoon, reaching minor flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.

A flood warning remains in effect across the Michiana area through Friday afternoon, with several sections of the river experiencing overflow.

Nathan Marsili, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said precipitation levels in recent weeks have been significantly higher than normal.

“For the month of April, in South Bend we’re running about two times what we normally get,” Marsili said. “And that’s on top of a March where we were also about two times as much as we normally get.”

The excess rainfall has led to flooding in some communal areas along the Mishawaka Riverwalk.

However, forecasters say conditions are expected to improve in the coming days.

“We’re not expecting significant precipitation over the next several days, so that should help things improve,” Marsili said.

Despite the flooding, impacts are expected to remain relatively minor. Officials say it is still generally safe to walk along the river or fish in most areas affected by the warning.

The National Weather Service of Northern Indiana expects river levels to return to normal by the end of the week, even with additional rain chances in the forecast.