Showing posts with label flooding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flooding. Show all posts
Monday, June 2, 2008
Flooding in Italy......
Robin Pomeroy in Turin
June 1, 2008
ITALY has declared a state of emergency in the country's north after flooding and mudslides left at least four people, including an infant, dead in heavy rains that have also hit Belgium, Britain, France and Germany.
The state of emergency will enable aid to be speeded up to the affected regions of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta.
In Piedmont, four people were killed in landslides, including a three-year-old child whose body was found yesterday.
Schools were closed in the town of Saviglano because of mudslides and 30 people were evacuated from their homes in Demonte.
A mudslide at Villar Pelice, near Turin, swept away a house, killing an elderly man inside it. A second person was found dead in a car also caught up in the mudslide.
Fifty patients were evacuated from a hospital in Turin but Red Cross official Giuseppe Vernero said the worst seemed to be over.
Train lines between Turin and Lyon in south-eastern France were closed to avoid accidents after heavy rains.
Road tunnels linking France and Italy were closed to trucks for several hours after parts were affected by a mudslide. Several highways were blocked or closed for safety in the Alpine districts of Savoie and Isere. Mudslides and flooding also hit villages and cut secondary roads in eastern France, while other routes were blocked by fallen trees.
Streets were turned to rivers of mud in the eastern Belgian city of Liege after a violent storm. Belgian television showed cars swept along in the mud and flooded houses.
In Germany, heavy rain and hail caused extensive damage, while at Moenchengladbach, near Dusseldorf, a woman suffered a severe electric shock when she went into her flooded cellar in bare feet to cut the power.
A clean-up operation was under way in south-west England after torrential rain caused flash flooding.
In Somerset, cars were abandoned on water-logged roads, fire crews had to rescue a number of motorists and hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded.
Source: The Sun-Herald
June 1, 2008
ITALY has declared a state of emergency in the country's north after flooding and mudslides left at least four people, including an infant, dead in heavy rains that have also hit Belgium, Britain, France and Germany.
The state of emergency will enable aid to be speeded up to the affected regions of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta.
In Piedmont, four people were killed in landslides, including a three-year-old child whose body was found yesterday.
Schools were closed in the town of Saviglano because of mudslides and 30 people were evacuated from their homes in Demonte.
A mudslide at Villar Pelice, near Turin, swept away a house, killing an elderly man inside it. A second person was found dead in a car also caught up in the mudslide.
Fifty patients were evacuated from a hospital in Turin but Red Cross official Giuseppe Vernero said the worst seemed to be over.
Train lines between Turin and Lyon in south-eastern France were closed to avoid accidents after heavy rains.
Road tunnels linking France and Italy were closed to trucks for several hours after parts were affected by a mudslide. Several highways were blocked or closed for safety in the Alpine districts of Savoie and Isere. Mudslides and flooding also hit villages and cut secondary roads in eastern France, while other routes were blocked by fallen trees.
Streets were turned to rivers of mud in the eastern Belgian city of Liege after a violent storm. Belgian television showed cars swept along in the mud and flooded houses.
In Germany, heavy rain and hail caused extensive damage, while at Moenchengladbach, near Dusseldorf, a woman suffered a severe electric shock when she went into her flooded cellar in bare feet to cut the power.
A clean-up operation was under way in south-west England after torrential rain caused flash flooding.
In Somerset, cars were abandoned on water-logged roads, fire crews had to rescue a number of motorists and hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded.
Source: The Sun-Herald
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Are you worried about Flooding?
Residents Near Fox, Rock Rivers Worry About Flooding
FEMA Stresses Importance Of Flood Insurance
POSTED: 10:15 am CDT March 25, 2008
As the snow melts, rivers are starting to rise, causing concerns in several of Wisconsin's southern counties.
Doug Sherman lives in a small town called Newville in Rock County along the Rock River.
"Every year you have to worry about the river, especially if there's a heavy snow," Sherman said.
And this year is no exception.
The pier behind his house is already under water.
He's keeping his fingers crossed that it doesn't get any worse.
"Folks in Newville are no strangers to spring flooding. They've done a lot of sandbagging there in the past 50 years. For them, it's just a way of life," WISN 12 News reporter Kai Reed said.
Still, state officials have warned counties all over Wisconsin to get their sand bags ready and to gear up for possible spring flooding because of the higher than normal snow totals this winter.
The Fox River in Kenosha County has been over flood stage for most of the winter.
The Rock River is flowing over roadways in Jefferson County.
Predictions are it could reach 9 feet in the next two weeks.
Residents there know how bad it can get.
"It becomes difficult to live, you know? You have to go from the boat to the house, and then you've got a dog, and what's he going to do?" John Scullin said.
Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency urged residents to make sure their flood insurance policies are up to date.
Sherman doesn't have flood insurance, like 99 percent of Wisconsin residents.
"I guess if I was going to get it, I should have a long time ago," Sherman said.
"And why not?" Reed asked.
"It's expensive," Sherman said.
He's hoping his luck doesn't run out.
"I was born and raised here. I just love being on the water," Sherman said.
State officials are most concerned about the Fox, Rock, Baraboo, Wisconsin and Kickapoo rivers.
Related Story:
March 24, 2008: FEMA Offers Flood Preparedness Tips
Copyright 2008 by WISN.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
FEMA Stresses Importance Of Flood Insurance
POSTED: 10:15 am CDT March 25, 2008
As the snow melts, rivers are starting to rise, causing concerns in several of Wisconsin's southern counties.
Doug Sherman lives in a small town called Newville in Rock County along the Rock River.
"Every year you have to worry about the river, especially if there's a heavy snow," Sherman said.
And this year is no exception.
The pier behind his house is already under water.
He's keeping his fingers crossed that it doesn't get any worse.
"Folks in Newville are no strangers to spring flooding. They've done a lot of sandbagging there in the past 50 years. For them, it's just a way of life," WISN 12 News reporter Kai Reed said.
Still, state officials have warned counties all over Wisconsin to get their sand bags ready and to gear up for possible spring flooding because of the higher than normal snow totals this winter.
The Fox River in Kenosha County has been over flood stage for most of the winter.
The Rock River is flowing over roadways in Jefferson County.
Predictions are it could reach 9 feet in the next two weeks.
Residents there know how bad it can get.
"It becomes difficult to live, you know? You have to go from the boat to the house, and then you've got a dog, and what's he going to do?" John Scullin said.
Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency urged residents to make sure their flood insurance policies are up to date.
Sherman doesn't have flood insurance, like 99 percent of Wisconsin residents.
"I guess if I was going to get it, I should have a long time ago," Sherman said.
"And why not?" Reed asked.
"It's expensive," Sherman said.
He's hoping his luck doesn't run out.
"I was born and raised here. I just love being on the water," Sherman said.
State officials are most concerned about the Fox, Rock, Baraboo, Wisconsin and Kickapoo rivers.
Related Story:
March 24, 2008: FEMA Offers Flood Preparedness Tips
Copyright 2008 by WISN.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
UK Flood threats ~ March 2008
UK storm causes 14 flood warnings
Waves crash over the sea wall at Trearddur Bay in north Wales
Storms batter the UK
Fourteen flood warnings are in place across England as a powerful storm moves across the UK, causing widespread travel disruption and power cuts.
On Monday, gale force winds and rain affected roads, rail and air travel and almost 12,000 homes were without power.
The weather is now easing but fears of flooding are expected to increase early on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency says the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and the Somerset coast are most at risk.
Gale warning
The Met Office has issued a severe gale warning for much of Britain from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon.
The storms are expected to strike further north this time, with more disruption to transport and power possible.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "The situation has now improved along parts of the south west and southern coasts."
It is urging people in those areas to stay vigilant, as high spring tides combining with strong winds could cause more localised flooding.
HAVE YOUR SAY Our fence has been blown down and the conservatory roof has been lifted, scary stuff! Melanie, Crawley
Jersey's sea wall has been breached in four places along the South coast.
The Opera House in St Helier is inches deep with sea water and several roads have been closed due to flooding.
In the Cornish town of Perranporth, firefighters are pumping seawater from a pub and some businesses.
Water has been lapping around seafront doorsteps in the Devon town of Teignmouth, while in the Cornish village of Flushing, seawater has flooded the high street.
In Sussex and Kent, the Environment Agency is using bulldozers to build up shingle to protect the coast.
Earlier in the day, a lifeboat was sent to rescue 40 people from a caravan park after flood defences were breached at high tide in Selsey Bill, West Sussex.
A number of flights at Heathrow and Gatwick airports were cancelled, while speed restrictions were put in place on some rail lines.
Flooding caused lane closures on the M25, while the Port of Dover was closed, with P&O Ferries unable to operate any of its Dover-Calais sailings. It has now reopened.
Lost power
The RAC is advising drivers to be prepared for hazardous driving conditions over the next few days.
The M48 Severn Bridge between England and Wales was closed both ways because of high winds but one lane has since reopened.
High winds have also caused considerable damage and disruption, blowing off garage roofs in Devon and west Wales, uprooting trees and bringing down power lines.
A wind speed of 82mph was recorded in Berry Head in Brixham, south Devon, as well as at the Mumbles in Swansea.
In south-west England, 7,000 homes are without power, with 3,000 affected in Wales and 1,700 in Sussex.
Preparations for the Cheltenham Festival, starting on Tuesday, were thrown into disarray after a hospitality stand lost its roof.
Lloyds TSB Insurance says it has had a 150% increase in new claims registered in the first part of the day compared with a typical Monday morning.
Parts of north-east England and Scotland have been hit by snowfall as well as high winds with snow ploughs needed to keep some roads open.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7288975.stmPublished: 2008/03/11 06:17:31 GMT© BBC MMVIII
Waves crash over the sea wall at Trearddur Bay in north Wales
Storms batter the UK
Fourteen flood warnings are in place across England as a powerful storm moves across the UK, causing widespread travel disruption and power cuts.
On Monday, gale force winds and rain affected roads, rail and air travel and almost 12,000 homes were without power.
The weather is now easing but fears of flooding are expected to increase early on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency says the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and the Somerset coast are most at risk.
Gale warning
The Met Office has issued a severe gale warning for much of Britain from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon.
The storms are expected to strike further north this time, with more disruption to transport and power possible.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "The situation has now improved along parts of the south west and southern coasts."
It is urging people in those areas to stay vigilant, as high spring tides combining with strong winds could cause more localised flooding.
HAVE YOUR SAY Our fence has been blown down and the conservatory roof has been lifted, scary stuff! Melanie, Crawley
Jersey's sea wall has been breached in four places along the South coast.
The Opera House in St Helier is inches deep with sea water and several roads have been closed due to flooding.
In the Cornish town of Perranporth, firefighters are pumping seawater from a pub and some businesses.
Water has been lapping around seafront doorsteps in the Devon town of Teignmouth, while in the Cornish village of Flushing, seawater has flooded the high street.
In Sussex and Kent, the Environment Agency is using bulldozers to build up shingle to protect the coast.
Earlier in the day, a lifeboat was sent to rescue 40 people from a caravan park after flood defences were breached at high tide in Selsey Bill, West Sussex.
A number of flights at Heathrow and Gatwick airports were cancelled, while speed restrictions were put in place on some rail lines.
Flooding caused lane closures on the M25, while the Port of Dover was closed, with P&O Ferries unable to operate any of its Dover-Calais sailings. It has now reopened.
Lost power
The RAC is advising drivers to be prepared for hazardous driving conditions over the next few days.
The M48 Severn Bridge between England and Wales was closed both ways because of high winds but one lane has since reopened.
High winds have also caused considerable damage and disruption, blowing off garage roofs in Devon and west Wales, uprooting trees and bringing down power lines.
A wind speed of 82mph was recorded in Berry Head in Brixham, south Devon, as well as at the Mumbles in Swansea.
In south-west England, 7,000 homes are without power, with 3,000 affected in Wales and 1,700 in Sussex.
Preparations for the Cheltenham Festival, starting on Tuesday, were thrown into disarray after a hospitality stand lost its roof.
Lloyds TSB Insurance says it has had a 150% increase in new claims registered in the first part of the day compared with a typical Monday morning.
Parts of north-east England and Scotland have been hit by snowfall as well as high winds with snow ploughs needed to keep some roads open.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7288975.stmPublished: 2008/03/11 06:17:31 GMT© BBC MMVIII
Canada ~ Next big worry is Flooding
Flooding the next big worry this spring
Eyes on river levels.
Spiking temperature, not snow, is the main threat, officials say
KATHERINE WILTON, The GazettePublished: Wednesday, March 12
Montrealers might be pining for an early, balmy spring. Civil protection officials are crossing their fingers, however, hoping for a slow transition to warmer temperatures to avoid severe flooding because of the huge amount of snow that has fallen this winter.
As the person who heads Montreal's emergency-preparedness centre, Valérie Gagnon worries that a spike in temperatures over several days could lead to flooding on the Rivière des Prairies, causing water to seep into basements in flood-prone areas like Pierrefonds and Ahuntsic.
Although the snowfall in the Montreal region is close to record levels, it doesn't necessarily mean flooding will occur this spring, Gagnon said yesterday.
Eyes on river levels.
Spiking temperature, not snow, is the main threat, officials say
KATHERINE WILTON, The GazettePublished: Wednesday, March 12
Montrealers might be pining for an early, balmy spring. Civil protection officials are crossing their fingers, however, hoping for a slow transition to warmer temperatures to avoid severe flooding because of the huge amount of snow that has fallen this winter.
As the person who heads Montreal's emergency-preparedness centre, Valérie Gagnon worries that a spike in temperatures over several days could lead to flooding on the Rivière des Prairies, causing water to seep into basements in flood-prone areas like Pierrefonds and Ahuntsic.
Although the snowfall in the Montreal region is close to record levels, it doesn't necessarily mean flooding will occur this spring, Gagnon said yesterday.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Flooding ~ A personal Story
Odd weather: Reality or myth?
Disasters prompt concerns, but experts say worry not
By CURT SLYDERcslyder@journalandcourier.comand DAVID SMITHdsmith@journalandcourier.com
Dennis Kellar of Carroll County moved back into his home along the Tippecanoe River this week after a very expensive winter.
January flooding, followed by more flooding this month, cost him about $25,000 in repairs.
"That's just the house," he said. "I've still got to do the garage."
He wasn't alone.
Because of high water, President Bush declared nine Indiana counties disaster areas. So far nearly 1,000 residents in nine counties, including Carroll, White and Tippecanoe, have applied for federal assistance.
Back-to-back floods, record-breaking heat, killer tornadoes -- these extremes and others are causing many people to wonder if the weird weather phenomena are related -- perhaps the result of global warming.
Kellar goes even farther, speculating that extreme weather may have something to do with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that caused tsunamis, or tidal waves, that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
"Everything's been happening since that big tsunami," Kellar said. "Something is wrong. This is crazy."
Devdutta "Dev" Niyogi, Indiana state climatologist at Purdue University, tries to dispel such clouds of speculation with cold, hard facts. He said that while climate is undergoing long-term changes, other factors are likely causing the Midwest's weird weather.
The most likely culprit, he said, is La Niña -- a cooling of the Pacific Ocean that causes a shift in weather over North America every four to six years.
Higher than normal precipitation and temperature extremes "are the swings we expect with a La Niña type pattern," Niyogi said.
"And we're not out of the woods yet," he said. Niyogi said La Niña could bring additional high precipitation this winter, followed by potentially more violent thunderstorms in spring and summer.
"I'm not a climate change skeptic," he said. "I agree there is some degree of climate change occurring. We need to make cause and effect more clear."
Reality vs. perception
Niyogi said there is evidence that Indiana's growing season has lengthened in the past century. But that subtle shift, very real to farmers, doesn't get the same media attention as floods, tornadoes and other extremes.
"In a sense, we do see general increases in climate extremes. However, we also have a short-term memory. When we see something happen, we think it is the worse that's ever been."
Dave McDowell, director of the Carroll County Emergency Management Department, tends to agree.
"When I was in school, there was the Blizzard of '78," McDowell said. "All the headlines back then read 'Ice Age imminent.'
"There seems to be a shift in the weather every 20 years or so."
McDowell also believes people are making a bigger issue of extreme weather because communities are expanding into formerly undeveloped areas.
"As humanity expands, there are more things to damage," he said.
McDowell believes weather extremes are something that must be anticipated, whatever their cause. This is especially true in flood-prone areas.
Where was the warning?
When Kellar and others along the Tippecanoe River were flooded out Jan. 8, the high water came quickly. The flood occurred after warm temperatures the previous day melted snow and overnight thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain.
Oakdale Dam, a hydroelectric dam not designed for flood control, let the torrent pass through to the Tippecanoe River.
Downstream residents such as Kellar were caught by surprise, in part because the dam's owner, Northern Indiana Public Service Co., failed to trigger a phone alert system designed to warn residents of dangerously high flows.
"Many residents awoke to the sound of water rushing through their homes, after an early-warning system failed," noted Indiana's Jan. 28 application for federal relief, sent by Gov. Mitch Daniels to the White House.
Jim Fitzer, a public affairs manager for NIPSCO, said the dam operator on duty notified emergency and company personnel of the high flows but did not realize residents were not notified warned until the next day.
Fitzer said operating procedures have since been clarified, and the warning system worked properly when flooding returned on Feb. 5.
McDowell is pushing for a three-tiered warning system that would place warning sirens along the river and weather radios in every home along with the telephone warning system.
The cost of sirens could be substantial, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to pay for it," McDowell said.
With adequate warning, residents in the flood-prone areas could move themselves as well as furnishings, clothing and prized possessions out of harm's way.
Kellar agreed that a better warning system is needed.
"We need an early warning system from Buffalo, all the way down the Tippecanoe River," he said.
So far, the damage toll has run into the millions, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the nine-county disaster declaration area, FEMA has processed 968 applications for disaster assistance from individuals and businesses.
The applications represent $3.1 million in assistance approved so far, an amount that could grow significantly in coming weeks, Sam Ventura, FEMA public information officer, predicted.
Those kinds of numbers tell McDowell that a warning system would be a worthwhile investment. He would like to see FEMA help pay for it, but he has been told such a request may have to go through Indiana's Homeland Security Department.
"If we get the money, I don't see why such a system couldn't be up this summer," McDowell said.
A brief history of Wabash flooding
A Journal & Courier analysis of Wabash River peak levels for the past 108 years suggests that significant flooding -- defined as a river level of 20 feet or more measured at Brown Street -- is no more common now than it was 50 to 100 years ago.Between 1901 and 1954 there were 30 floods in excess of 20 feet, the same number as from 1954 to present.And multiple significant floods in one year are not that uncommon either.The year 1927 saw three separate floods in excess of 20 feet, and during the 11 months between June 1958 and May 1959, three floods ranging in size from 22.4 feet to 26.4 feet occurred in Lafayette.The February 1959 flood, which prompted a national disaster declaration by President Eisenhower, was accompanied by an ice jam so big it threatened the bridges at Main and Brown streets.The Army Corps of Engineers drew up plans to break up the ice with dynamite, then raised the possibility of bombing it, according to Journal & Courier articles.While the discussion about what to do with the ice dragged on, the ice jam broke up on its own without serious consequence.
-- David Smith/dsmith@journalandcourier.com
Disasters prompt concerns, but experts say worry not
By CURT SLYDERcslyder@journalandcourier.comand DAVID SMITHdsmith@journalandcourier.com
Dennis Kellar of Carroll County moved back into his home along the Tippecanoe River this week after a very expensive winter.
January flooding, followed by more flooding this month, cost him about $25,000 in repairs.
"That's just the house," he said. "I've still got to do the garage."
He wasn't alone.
Because of high water, President Bush declared nine Indiana counties disaster areas. So far nearly 1,000 residents in nine counties, including Carroll, White and Tippecanoe, have applied for federal assistance.
Back-to-back floods, record-breaking heat, killer tornadoes -- these extremes and others are causing many people to wonder if the weird weather phenomena are related -- perhaps the result of global warming.
Kellar goes even farther, speculating that extreme weather may have something to do with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that caused tsunamis, or tidal waves, that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
"Everything's been happening since that big tsunami," Kellar said. "Something is wrong. This is crazy."
Devdutta "Dev" Niyogi, Indiana state climatologist at Purdue University, tries to dispel such clouds of speculation with cold, hard facts. He said that while climate is undergoing long-term changes, other factors are likely causing the Midwest's weird weather.
The most likely culprit, he said, is La Niña -- a cooling of the Pacific Ocean that causes a shift in weather over North America every four to six years.
Higher than normal precipitation and temperature extremes "are the swings we expect with a La Niña type pattern," Niyogi said.
"And we're not out of the woods yet," he said. Niyogi said La Niña could bring additional high precipitation this winter, followed by potentially more violent thunderstorms in spring and summer.
"I'm not a climate change skeptic," he said. "I agree there is some degree of climate change occurring. We need to make cause and effect more clear."
Reality vs. perception
Niyogi said there is evidence that Indiana's growing season has lengthened in the past century. But that subtle shift, very real to farmers, doesn't get the same media attention as floods, tornadoes and other extremes.
"In a sense, we do see general increases in climate extremes. However, we also have a short-term memory. When we see something happen, we think it is the worse that's ever been."
Dave McDowell, director of the Carroll County Emergency Management Department, tends to agree.
"When I was in school, there was the Blizzard of '78," McDowell said. "All the headlines back then read 'Ice Age imminent.'
"There seems to be a shift in the weather every 20 years or so."
McDowell also believes people are making a bigger issue of extreme weather because communities are expanding into formerly undeveloped areas.
"As humanity expands, there are more things to damage," he said.
McDowell believes weather extremes are something that must be anticipated, whatever their cause. This is especially true in flood-prone areas.
Where was the warning?
When Kellar and others along the Tippecanoe River were flooded out Jan. 8, the high water came quickly. The flood occurred after warm temperatures the previous day melted snow and overnight thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain.
Oakdale Dam, a hydroelectric dam not designed for flood control, let the torrent pass through to the Tippecanoe River.
Downstream residents such as Kellar were caught by surprise, in part because the dam's owner, Northern Indiana Public Service Co., failed to trigger a phone alert system designed to warn residents of dangerously high flows.
"Many residents awoke to the sound of water rushing through their homes, after an early-warning system failed," noted Indiana's Jan. 28 application for federal relief, sent by Gov. Mitch Daniels to the White House.
Jim Fitzer, a public affairs manager for NIPSCO, said the dam operator on duty notified emergency and company personnel of the high flows but did not realize residents were not notified warned until the next day.
Fitzer said operating procedures have since been clarified, and the warning system worked properly when flooding returned on Feb. 5.
McDowell is pushing for a three-tiered warning system that would place warning sirens along the river and weather radios in every home along with the telephone warning system.
The cost of sirens could be substantial, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to pay for it," McDowell said.
With adequate warning, residents in the flood-prone areas could move themselves as well as furnishings, clothing and prized possessions out of harm's way.
Kellar agreed that a better warning system is needed.
"We need an early warning system from Buffalo, all the way down the Tippecanoe River," he said.
So far, the damage toll has run into the millions, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the nine-county disaster declaration area, FEMA has processed 968 applications for disaster assistance from individuals and businesses.
The applications represent $3.1 million in assistance approved so far, an amount that could grow significantly in coming weeks, Sam Ventura, FEMA public information officer, predicted.
Those kinds of numbers tell McDowell that a warning system would be a worthwhile investment. He would like to see FEMA help pay for it, but he has been told such a request may have to go through Indiana's Homeland Security Department.
"If we get the money, I don't see why such a system couldn't be up this summer," McDowell said.
A brief history of Wabash flooding
A Journal & Courier analysis of Wabash River peak levels for the past 108 years suggests that significant flooding -- defined as a river level of 20 feet or more measured at Brown Street -- is no more common now than it was 50 to 100 years ago.Between 1901 and 1954 there were 30 floods in excess of 20 feet, the same number as from 1954 to present.And multiple significant floods in one year are not that uncommon either.The year 1927 saw three separate floods in excess of 20 feet, and during the 11 months between June 1958 and May 1959, three floods ranging in size from 22.4 feet to 26.4 feet occurred in Lafayette.The February 1959 flood, which prompted a national disaster declaration by President Eisenhower, was accompanied by an ice jam so big it threatened the bridges at Main and Brown streets.The Army Corps of Engineers drew up plans to break up the ice with dynamite, then raised the possibility of bombing it, according to Journal & Courier articles.While the discussion about what to do with the ice dragged on, the ice jam broke up on its own without serious consequence.
-- David Smith/dsmith@journalandcourier.com
Rain & Flooding hits Commuters in US
Rain, flooding slams morning commute
BY JOHN VALENTI john.valenti@newsday.com
7:29 AM EST, February 18, 2008
The bad news is that we're in for some terrible weather throughout the day Monday: Rain showers. A possible thunderstorm. Areas of dense fog. The possibility of flooding.The good news is that's it's President's Day. Meaning that traffic is light and many people have the day off -- so there are no mind-numbing morning rush-hour traffic jams.Still, the National Weather Service is advising that moderate rain will continue throughout the day with "brief periods" of heavy rainfall. Areas of fog will result in "very low visibilities with hazardous driving conditions," forecasters warn.
BY JOHN VALENTI john.valenti@newsday.com
7:29 AM EST, February 18, 2008
The bad news is that we're in for some terrible weather throughout the day Monday: Rain showers. A possible thunderstorm. Areas of dense fog. The possibility of flooding.The good news is that's it's President's Day. Meaning that traffic is light and many people have the day off -- so there are no mind-numbing morning rush-hour traffic jams.Still, the National Weather Service is advising that moderate rain will continue throughout the day with "brief periods" of heavy rainfall. Areas of fog will result in "very low visibilities with hazardous driving conditions," forecasters warn.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
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