Stay home if you can.
That’s the word of caution from city, county and state officials as heavy rains and flooding swamped the Wabash Valley on Friday and Saturday.
And if you must drive and do encounter high water or a road washout, “Turn around — don’t drown,” they say.
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Flooding on Eldrige Road north of Gross Road is shown in this Saturday photo posted to social media by the Riley Fire Department.
In Vigo County, commissioners on Saturday extended a travel watch until 11 a.m. Sunday.
Heavy rain led to several flooded roads in the county, and more than a few were impassible. The conditions, and sometimes questionable decisions by drivers, led to multiple water rescues, officials reported.
Early Saturday afternoon, first responders in the 6300 block of South First Street had to extricate a driver from a water-filled roadway. That driver is currently under investigation for operating under the influence and will be cited for ignoring roadway closure signage, wrote Steve Meng, Vigo County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy.
Wrote Vigo County Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard, “Our Highway Department is putting up larger barricades on South First Street, and it will be closed until the water recedes.
“There have been multiple water rescues here [on First Street] today, putting drivers and emergency responders at risk. Turn around, don’t drown.”
“We have been out checking roads in our area. Some are still covered with water. Please do not travel across flooded roads at all,” the Riley Fire Department wrote on its Facebook page.
Vigo commissioners said they’d seen washouts that will require work next week. If you come upon a road with water across it, or a washout, please turn around and find an alternate route, wrote commissioners Clinkenbeard and Mike Morris.
Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun said he’d been touch with county officials and appreciated the good communication and the team effort.
Terre Haute Wastewater Utility crews were out, the mayor said on Facebook. Those included one at the Youngstown lift station and another assisting the county. Additional crews would likely be mobilized to assist communities bordering the city, the mayor said.
Several stoplights in Terre Haute were reset Friday night, but several others are creating persistent problems. The streets department is working on those issues.
City crews were working to clean up debris, manage high water and dispose of fallen tree limbs. Street sweeping is on hold but will resume next week. The city expects to post an update on the schedule on Monday morning.
In Clay County, commissioners elevated their travel advisory to a travel watch.
“Our situation is becoming more dangerous as flood waters continue to rise. Many roads are impassable, and some have fast moving water flowing across them,” wrote Rob Gambill, the county’s emergency management director.
“Drivers should absolutely not try to drive across any flooded roadways, especially those that have water flowing across them,” he said.
The Indiana Department of Transportation West Central District, which includes Terre Haute, said state crews — especially in southern Indiana — are working with state and local emergency management agencies.
Interstate 70 was closed for a period at the 41 mile marker (Cloverdale exit) due to high water on Friday night. U.S. 40 to the 59 mile marker (Monrovia exit) was used as an alternate route, reported Sgt. Matt Ames of Indiana State Police. That stretch of I-70 reopened early Saturday.
Around electricity
Duke Energy issued tips on how to deal with situation when it comes to water and electricity:
• If rising water threatens your home or business — or if you evacuate due to flooding – consider turning off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
• Stay away from downed electrical lines. Don’t drive over – and don’t stand near – downed electrical lines.
• Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands, or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
• Report an outage by texting OUT to 57801 and follow outage updates in your area at duke-energy.com/outages.
Forecast
The Terre Haute area as of Saturday afternoon was under a National Weather Service flood warning until 11 p.m. Saturday and a flood watch watch until 8 a.m. Sunday.
In a hazardous weather outlook statement, the NWS said heavy rain was expected through Saturday night.
Additionally, Sunday through Friday, significant river flooding is expected to develop and continue through the coming week.
Rain was forecast to let up at least somewhat on Sunday, with the chance of precipitation dropping from 80% to 30%.
On Sunday, scattered showers are expected after 10 a.m., with the skies then cloudy. A steady temperature around 43 is forecast. North to northeast winds around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph, are likely.
On Sunday night, expect areas of frost after 2 a.m. Otherwise, it will be cloudy during the early evening, then gradually clearing, with a low around 32.