High Water Recedes in East but Indiana Floods Persist

Residents began cleaning up as flooded rivers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio receded Tuesday, but Indiana’s high waters were expected to continue for the rest of the week, the National Weather Service reported.

Heavy rain combined with an unseasonsable snow melt were blamed for the flooding.

Flood warnings remained in effect for western Pennsylvania, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers crested slightly above flood stage during the night and were receding.

Forecasters said that the Ohio River in Pittsburgh was receding and water would be off flooded roads by Tuesday evening. Downstream, the river exceeded flood stages by one to six feet and was receding Tuesday.

Rising rivers caused the evacuation by New Year’s Eve of about 1,500 people in Indiana, with the problem expected to continue at least through the week.

The worst flooding occurred Monday along the Kankakee and White rivers as heavy rains combined with melting snow. Dirt levees gave out and more than 10,000 homes were flooded and 1,500 people in 17 counties were evacuated.

Flood warnings remained in effect through Saturday along the Kankakee. The weather service said the water might fall slightly at Shelby by today or Thursday but would rise again to about 12 1/2 feet because of upstream waters from the Yellow River.

The Yellow was expected to flood between Plymouth and English Lake through Thursday, affecting homes and commercial areas. The White River was creating major flooding in the Indianapolis area. The Tippecanoe was also swollen but was expected to be a foot or two lower than it had been in August.

Gov. Evan Bayh cut short his vacation in South Carolina to return to Indiana, and the National Guard was alerted to provide possible help and to prepare shelters.

In northern Ohio, residents in the village of Valley View ushered in the New Year with mops and buckets to clean up after a weekend of flooding forced many from their homes.

More than 100 people in the Cleveland suburb were evacuated from 60 homes Sunday after a swift and steady rainfall fell on saturated ground and caused the Cuyahoga River to overflow its banks.

Another 100 residents were forced to leave their homes along the flooded Maumee River in Defiance, in northwestern Ohio.