4 Day rain totals courtesy NWS IWX

When I think of flooding around this area, I would expect it to be in the spring with heavy rains and melting snow.  Sadly, this happened a few months early and with several inches of rain over the last 4 days and recent snow melt, there is significant flooding occurring across the southern side of the WANE viewing area.

Take a look at the map above and you can see the area with the most amount of rain was Grant, Blackford, Jay, Wells, Adams and southern Allen Counties.    Here is what the flooding looks like in Bluffton, from local storm chaser and weather spotter, Nick Huffman:

Flooding in Bluffton from Nick Huffman

Flooding in Bluffton from Nick Huffman

Flooding in Bluffton from Nick Huffman

Hands down folks, if you are driving and encounter flooding like this, never drive through the flooding, always find another way around.  Flash flooding is the number one severe weather killer in the United States, more than tornadoes or lightning strikes.

I don’t think this is the worst flooding in Bluffton and Decatur, but click here for an interactive map to see how high the river levels are.

Here is the current stage for St. Marys River in Decatur:

St. Marys River stage in Decatur, courtesy NWS IWX

As you can see above, the St. Marys River is expected to crest this Monday evening.   But here is the current level of the Wabash River in Bluffton:

Current river level for the Wabash River in Bluffton courtesy NWS IWX

The Wabash is expected to crest Monday at 7PM and drop below flood stage by this Thursday.

Here is the good news though:  No more rain or snow is expected in the next week, giving our water sheds a chance to recover from this recent rain.