The northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service has issued a Hydrologic Outlook that explains an increased risk of flooding in northeastern Indiana and northwestern Ohio. As the outlook explains, it’s too early to issue a flood watch or warning, but flooding is possible. So people who live in flood-prone areas should be prepared for flooding and monitor official forecasts over the next couple weeks.
Here’s the verbatim statement:
ADAMS-ALLEN IN-BLACKFORD-CASS IN-DE KALB-ELKHART-FULTON IN-GRANT-
HUNTINGTON-JAY-KOSCIUSKO-LAGRANGE-LA PORTE-MARSHALL-MIAMI-NOBLE-
PULASKI-ST. JOSEPH IN-STARKE-STEUBEN-WABASH-WELLS-WHITE-WHITLEY-
BERRIEN-BRANCH-CASS MI-HILLSDALE-ST. JOSEPH MI-ALLEN OH-DEFIANCE-
FULTON OH-HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-WILLIAMS-
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
415 AM EST FRI FEB 14 2014 /315 AM CST FRI FEB 14 2014/
...INCREASED FLOOD POTENTIAL INTO LATE FEBRUARY...
SEVERAL FACTORS WILL COMBINE TO CREATE AN INCREASED FLOOD RISK
STARTING LATE NEXT WEEK AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF
FEBRUARY. WIDESPREAD SNOW AND ICE CONTAIN A LARGE QUANTITY OF
STORED WATER...GENERALLY 1.5 TO 3.5 INCHES ACROSS THE REGION. A
WINTRY MIX WILL DEVELOP EARLY MONDAY AND LIKELY CHANGE TO ALL
RAIN BY MONDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE
AREA. A WINTRY MIX MAY PERSIST INTO MONDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL FURTHER ADD
TO THE AMOUNT OF WATER LOCKED IN PLACE BY THE SNOW COVER.
A WARM-UP WILL ALSO COMMENCE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AND
LIKELY CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEKEND THAT WILL RESULT IN MELTING OF
THE SNOWPACK ACROSS THE AREA. INCREASED RUNOFF FROM THIS MELTING
SNOW ATOP THE FROZEN GROUND WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTENED POTENTIAL
FOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS...BASEMENTS AND SMALL STREAMS AND
CREEKS. SIGNIFICANT RISES ALONG MAJOR STEM RIVERS COULD FOLLOW.
SHOULD A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT OCCUR DURING THIS WARMER
PERIOD...THE POTENTIAL FOR...AND THE SEVERITY OF...RESULTANT
FLOODING WOULD GREATLY INCREASE. THE POTENTIAL FOR BREAK UP AND
DOWNSTREAM MOVEMENT OF THICK ICE ON RIVERS WOULD INCREASE THE
RISK FOR ICE JAMS TO DEVELOP AND FURTHER EXACERBATE THE FLOODING
RISK.
FUTURE FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY AT THIS TIME...NOT A CERTAINTY.
IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE
FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING. STAY ALERT TO THE LATEST FORECASTS TRENDS
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BY VISITING WEATHER.GOV/IWX.
ADDITIONAL FLOOD AWARENESS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT
WEATHER.GOV/FLOODSAFETY AND READY.GOV/FLOODS