The St. Joseph River in northern Indiana has reached unprecedented levels near South Bend, Indiana. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the City of South Bend formally declared an emergency Wednesday.
The City has formally declared an emergency. Please be patient with closures and detours as the situation is still evolving. This is now a 500-year flood.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 22, 2018
South Bend was forced to close its wastewater treatment plant after it was swamped by flood waters. Untreated sewage water backed up into the river before the facility reopened at limited capacity Thursday morning. The Red Cross has opened 8 shelters in northern Indiana for those forced from their homes. WeatherNation spoke with Mayor Buttgieg about the dangerous situation threatening his city.
Our affiliate WJRT has been following similar flooding in Michigan that has taken the life of a one year old girl. Police say she was found in standing water in her backyard. WJRT is reporting that heavy rains and wintry weather have contributed to at least six other deaths in Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska since Monday.
#Flooding continues to cause road closures and travel problems. Drone footage from our affiliate @ABC12WJRT shows flooding along the Flint River in Flint, MI #MIwx #flood pic.twitter.com/bn6ndEXxE9
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) February 22, 2018
Upstream on the St. Joseph River in southwest Michigan, the Coast Guard was called in to help evacuate residents. At least 40 people and their pets had to be rescued.
The Mayor of Lansing, Michigan also declared an emergency for his city. At least six neighborhoods were put under voluntary evacuations.
Full interview above with Mayor Andy Schor
#LansingAlert: Mayor Andy Schor and Lansing Township Supervisor Diontrae Hayes have declared a State of Emergency in Lansing and Lansing Township due to imminent flooding in various neighborhoods throughout the Lansing area. Info: https://t.co/HVfWWRpz8a pic.twitter.com/j1dRLakutm
— Lansing Police (@LansingPolice) February 22, 2018
For WeatherNation, Meteorologist Karissa Klos