The northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service conducted a webinar briefing for partners this afternoon, regarding the potential for moderate to major flooding, beginning later this week.

Meteorologist Chris Roller explained that the office has forecast three to four inches of rainfall throughout the office’s 37-county warning area late Thursday through early Sunday. Some areas could get up to six inches. The heaviest rainfall is forecast to begin during the day Friday and to diminish on Saturday.

Roller said that the Wabash and Maumee River Basins have the greatest potential to receive flooding. He added that flooding has the potential to continue from late this week into next week and that some rivers could crest early next week due to runoff.

Roller focused his briefing on four river locations:

• Tiffin River at Stryker, Ohio
• Auglaize River at Defiance, Ohio
• Eel River at North Manchester, Indiana
• Ottawa River near Kalida, Ohio

Roller said, however, that flooding is also possible on the Maumee River at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The orange area in the graphic above indicates the range for the most likely outcomes along the area rivers. The charts above indicate the possibility of major flooding on the Tiffin, Auglaize and Ottawa Rivers and moderate flooding on the Eel River.

NWS makes specific information for individual gauges on any river available at https://water.weather.gov/ahps/.

Roller said forecasters have high confidence in a heavy rain event occurring with three to four inches and locally higher amounts to six inches possible. He said river flooding and flooding in normal flood-prone areas is likely.

Roller encouraged citizens to report to NWS Northern Indiana visual evidence of flooding along the rivers, saying that data can be more valuable than river gauge readings.

The office plans an updated briefing Thursday afternoon.