Heavy rain will likely push the East Fork White River to more than 18 feet Friday night at Rockford north of Seymour, according to the National Weather Service.
That’s more than 6 feet above flood stage (12 feet) and is expected to cause near major flooding throughout the county. The last time the river went above 18.6 feet was on July 15, 2015, when it reached 19.53 feet, the fourth highest river on record.
A flood warning remains in place this morning, and the river is not expected to crest until 8 p.m. Friday at 18.6.
At 18 feet, extensive flooding is in progress, and more than 50 percent of the floodplain in Jackson County is underwater, according to the weather service.
Floodwaters will be near the east edge of Medora and will isolate the wastewater treatment plant in Seymour. Extensive agricultural flooding occurs, and many county and state roads are closed in the county, including State Road 235 east of Medora and State Road 258 west of Seymour.
A list of other road closures includes:
- County Road 1200 East north of 700 North
- Slab Road west of Brownstown
- 300 North between 100 East and U.S. 50
- 150 East between 450 North and 300 North
- The Vallonia Bottoms
- 550 North and 525 North between 400 East and Seymour city limits
- 400 East between 300 North and 550 North
- 800 North between 575 East and 700 East
- 700 East between 760 North and 725 North
- 725 North between 760 East and 700 East
According to the Brownstown Central High School weather station, 1.21 inches of rain have fallen in the central part of the county since Friday with new rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible Wednesday night and earlier this morning.
More rain is possible throughout today and is expected to return Sunday and continue through Tuesday.