To the dismay of local officials, floodwaters have not led some motorists to change their travel plans.
From Saturday to Tuesday, seven water rescues were conducted by members of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Brownstown Volunteer Fire Department and Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Sheriff Rick Meyer said Wednesday morning.
The East Fork White River rose significantly this past weekend due to near constant rainfall on Friday and Saturday. According to the Brownstown Central High School weather station, 3.18 inches of rain fell during that period.
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The river’s flood stage is 12 feet, and by Friday evening, the river had risen to 11.4 feet. It rose to 14.5 feet Saturday before cresting at 18.15 at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The highest the river has ever risen is 21 feet, recorded on March 26, 1913.
Meyer said five of the water rescues required either his department’s johnboat, Brownstown Fire Department’s hovercraft or the airboat from Indiana Conservation.
“This happens every year,” Meyer said. “You would think people realize that these areas flood. It’s always the same roads every year. Usually, it happens after they drive through several hundred feet of water and then it just keeps getting deeper. It’s not like they didn’t see the water and got stuck. They see the water and try to continue to drive through the water until the car dies or it gets too deep.”
One of the two incidents that didn’t require a boat occurred in the 1700 block of East County Road 300N when a semitrailer wound up stuck after the driver decided to try to turn around in a field after driving through floodwaters, Meyer said.
Floodwaters have slowly fallen since Sunday, but the river was at 15.7 feet at 11 a.m. Wednesday. A flood warning remains in effect until 11:54 p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service.
Meyer said all seven motorists involved in the incidents were issued citations, which can be up to $500.
He said he’s thankful nobody has been hurt in any of the rescues so far this year.
“It puts our officers, any volunteer fire department volunteers and the conservation officers at risk,” Meyer said. “Whenever a boat goes out, they have one or two guys with them. It puts all their lives at risk.”
To see which roads are flooded in Jackson County, visit jacksonin.wthgis.com. The National Weather Service’s website also has information on the level of the river.