Published: February 07, 2008 12:42 am      

Howard County escapes flooding

Highway crews scampered to install warning signs on county roads as melting snow followed by a string of severe storms caused flooding along low lying areas.

Motorists were greeted on Wednesday morning by the sight of many farm fields flooded with water, in some cases approaching or crossing roadways.

Kokomo and Howard County were spared any flooding except for several low lying areas in the county, which normally flood during periods of heavy rain.

Officials in Miami and Carroll counties were keeping a close eye on streams, creeks and rivers as water levels continued to rise. Tipton County reported some water-covered roads.

Sam Waltz, superintendent of the Miami County Highway Department, said some roads adjacent to the Eel River are closed and some sandbag barricades were constructed around homes in Denver and Mexico.

“Deer Creek is out of its banks and there is some flooding along both Little and Big Pipe Creek,” Waltz said. “There is water across county roads in low lying areas.”

Mike Peconga, director of the Miami County Emergency Management Agency, said four homes were sandbagged on Tuesday.

“Right now we’re monitoring all the creeks, streams and rivers,” he said. “We stockpiled sand near Amboy.”

Major Steve Rogers, with the Howard County Sheriff’s Department, said water was ponding on roads throughout the county.

“I don’t know of any roads that are closed,” Rogers said.

The Howard County Emergency Management Agency reported Wildcat Creek was at 11.73 feet as of 2 p.m. Flood stage is 14 feet.

The local agency provided 4,000 sandbags to Grant County for flooding near the town of Jonesboro.

A dispatcher with the Tipton County Highway Department said the department put out lots of high water signs, but no roads were considered impassable.

The Indiana Department of Transportation closed a portion of Ind. 19 between Logan Street and Field Drive, north of Noblesville. The road carries approximately 10,000 cars on a daily basis from Noblesville to Atlanta.

The road is not expected to reopen until the weekend with the National Weather Service estimating the White River will crest in Hamilton County on Friday.