4:30 p.m. Wednesday update
Bartholomew County residents residing in flood-prone areas were breathing a sign of relief Wednesday as water levels didn’t rise as high as some had feared.
“I’m glad we put the sandbags up, but I don’t think we’re going to need them,” said Eric Johnson of Sunset Drive, part of the Lagoons area west of Washington Street.
While a second-round of heavy storms expected late Tuesday instead hit northern Indiana, that water will travel south into Bartholomew County through already swollen rivers and creeks, said Shannan Hinton, Bartholomew County Emergency Management director.
“We really can’t say if we’re out of danger,” Hinton said. “We still have rivers rising through Thursday afternoon and evening, and there are still plenty of areas that have the potential for flooding.”
However, Hinton said she thought the city may have weathered the worst of the flooding, as the Flatrock River prepares to crest at 15.2 feet Wednesday into today. That’s 5 feet below the 2008 flood level of 19.94 feet, she said.
State Road 11, a main route to and from Seymour that closed because of high water at 7 a.m. Wednesday, should reopen tonight or early Friday, Hinton said.
Between 1:30 and 4 p.m. Wednesday, five roads were removed from the county’s high-water list.
One welcome surprise for emergency management officials was how quickly Haw Creek — which causes flooding worries for Columbus Regional Hospital and Cummins, Inc. — began to recede Wednesday, she said.
Read more details and look for more photos in Thursday’s print edition of The Republic.
11 a.m. Wednesday update
High water or the threat of flooding closed roads and schools in Columbus on Wednesday.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. announced Tuesday night that all school buildings would be closed on Wednesday because of the high water. It declared an eLearning Day, but noted that the three school buildings designated to be open on most eLearning days — Columbus East High School, Northside Elementary and Southside Elementary — would not be open on Wednesday.
The BCSC technology department fielded about two dozen phone calls through its helpline Wednesday morning from people looking for eLearning assistance, said Nick Williams, BCSC coordinator of instructional technology.
Most of the calls were for clarification or were from users seeking their user name or passwords, he said.
The district’s eLearning system is actively monitoring traffic, though final attendance numbers won’t be known until Monday when learning objectives posted on the system are required to be completed, Williams said.
The learning management system allows BCSC teachers to post information and assignments tied to their current lesson plans. Teachers, which were required to post lessons by 9 a.m., are also able to interact with students through the platform, Williams said.
“They want to make sure eLearning days are continuous with learning throughout the year,” Williams said. “It’s another way for students to learn.”
Recognizing that not all of BCSC’s 11,500 have computing devices or Internet access at home, the district gave students until Monday to complete their lessons.
Besides BCSC, these other Columbus area schools also closed: ABS-Stewart, Faith Lutheran Preschool, First Presbyterian Preschool, St. Bartholomew Catholic, St. Paul Lutheran Preschool, St. Paul Lutheran, and White Creek Lutheran School.
Emergency efforts
Bartholomew County Emergency Management along with local public safety officials warned residents Tuesday night of flooding expected in Columbus and Bartholomew County. Likely problem areas include The Lagoons, Bethel Village, Reo Street, Lawton Avenue, 1100-1800 blocks of Washington Street, Franklin Street and Lafayette Avenue.
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department deputies personally notified county residents that they were in flood areas or might have travel limitations due to high waters. Twenty-four such messages were delivered between 11:10 p.m. and midnight Tuesday, according to 911 logs. Those residents were people who live on Reservoir Road, Franklin Street, Grace Street, South Beatty Lane, Walnut Street, North Stanley Lane, County Road East 550N and County Road North 25E.
The Southern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross set up an emergency shelter at Donner Center (739 22nd St.) in Columbus at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for residents in need of shelter. Columbus Animal Care Services will also be set up at this location to provide assistance should it be needed.
7 a.m. Wednesday posting
COLUMBUS, Ind. — High water or the threat of flooding closed roads and schools in Columbus on Wednesday.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. announced Tuesday night that schools would be closed on Wednesday because of the high water. It declared an eLearning Day, but noted that school buildings designated to be open on most eLearning days would not be open on Wednesday.
The school district provided the following statement Tuesday night on its website:
“Due to the severe threat of flooding and in cooperation with the City of Columbus and Bartholomew County, BCSC is CLOSED tomorrow, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. We will make up the day by conducting an eLearning Day. (We have no remaining scheduled make-up days on our school calendar for this year.)
“For more information about an eLearning Day, please visit our eLearning website, http://bcscelearningday.weebly.com/, and look for notices from your child’s teachers and administrators. Although Southside, Northside, and Columbus East have been identified as open sites for students on eLearning days, NO school buildings will be open tomorrow.
“We do recognize that some students may not have an electronic device and/or Internet access at home. Given this, students will have until Monday, April 9, 2018 to complete all assigned learning objectives.”
Other Columbus area schools to close: ABS-Stewart, Faith Lutheran Preschool, First Presbyterian Preschool, St. Bartholomew Catholic, St. Paul Lutheran Preschool, St. Paul Lutheran, and White Creek Lutheran School.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management along with local public safety officials warned residents Tuesday night of flooding expected in Columbus and Bartholomew County. Likely problem areas include The Lagoons, Bethel Village, Reo Street, Lawton Avenue, 1100-1800 blocks of Washington Street, Franklin Street and Lafayette Avenue.
Flooding was expected to impact the morning commute with the expected closure of the several roadways including parts of Jonathan Moore Pike (State Road 46), State Road 11 in Garden City, Indianapolis Road, and Southern Crossing (County Road 400 South).
In the event of road closures, the following routes of travel are recommended into Columbus:
From the North — Interstate 65 to the 76-mile marker (U.S. 31 exit)
From the South and East — U.S. 31 to State Road 46 .
Local law enforcement has been contacting residents in neighborhoods that are expected to be impacted by the anticipated flood event. The Southern Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross set up an emergency shelter at Donner Center (739 22nd St.) in Columbus at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for residents in need of shelter. Columbus Animal Care Services will also be set up at this location to provide assistance should it be needed.
People in the area of the anticipated flood event are advised to make preparations to evacuate their home in the event of rising floodwater. Residents are reminded to avoid traveling across flooded areas and roadways.
The 7 a.m. update from Bartholomew County Emergency Management included these road closings and high-water warnings.
CLOSED
State Road 11 at Garden City
Tellman Road shut down at 200W to Indianapolis Road
Southern Crossing
State Road 11 at 550S
800S between State Road 11 and U.S. 31
225 N (State Road 9 to Newbern Road)
400N gates are closed
South Gladstone Avenue
800S between State Road 11 and U.S. 31
900N between 200 E. and 300 E.
HIGH WATER
620N (east of the bridge)
800N (west of 100W)
400 West (200S to 250S)
450 North (east of 225E and Tally Rd)
Newbern Road (north of the bridge)
850S (at 400W)
930S ( 300W to 400W)
Rocky Ford Road west of Marr Road
Tellman Camp Road
600E at 850S
100W between 650S and 700S
