Mike Wolanin | The Republic Rocky Ford Road is closed due to high water in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management (BCEM) issued a flood warning from Wednesday morning through late Sunday evening throughout Bartholomew County.
A little over 2-3 inches of rain fell in Bartholomew County Tuesday night into Wednesday morning causing some minor to moderate flooding throughout the county. The rain continued throughout Wednesday and is projected to keep up until at least Sunday morning.
Despite the major rainfall, BCEM Director Shannan Cooke said the county has seen worse flooding in the past.
“We’re not anticipating anything like last spring,” Cooke said, referencing the April 2025 flood that swept through Bartholomew County’s streets and rivers.
As of Wednesday morning, Cooke said businesses and homes should not be affected by the floodwaters, though additional rainfall throughout the week could worsen the situation. Wednesday morning had a bit of a lull in the weather, but storms on Thursday and Friday will bring more rain to the county.
Despite the flooding only being labeled as minor, Cooke emphasized the importance of adhering to road safety. She said motorists should never drive through flooded roadways or around barricades. The “High Water” warning signs should not be ignored. Cooke said that driving through flooded streets could easily sweep cars away or take vehicles into unknown, debris-filled terrain.
River flooding potential
After watching the flood gauges, Cooke said that the East Fork White River expects minor flooding Friday morning from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Since other waterways feed into the East Fork, Cooke said the times for flooding here might fluctuate a bit throughout Friday and into late Sunday morning.
The typical roadways around the river will likely see flooding: Southern Crossing, County Road 800S, parts of State Road 46 and other agricultural roads in the area. State Road 11 might also see some flooding depending on the success of the retention ponds around the overpass and the severity of the flooding.
Haw Creek will have minor to moderate flooding on the typical roads and low-lying areas. Floodwater might pool in the roadways and take some time to recede due to the ground being over saturated with water from snow melt in the past month, she said.
The Flatrock River near Columbus also has a minor flooding warning from Wednesday morning until early Sunday morning.
Flooding at Driftwood River will crest at moderate from Wednesday morning into Monday morning. Moderate flooding means water may begin to enter homes or businesses.
Minor flooding occurred Wednesday morning at Clifty Creek at Hartsville with more flooding forecast into the rest of the week.
Wednesday morning, the Columbus Department of Parks and Recreation closed down segments of the Columbus People Trail due to flooding in low-level areas. City officials urge citizens to avoid any parts of the trail where water is present. Shallow flood water can be just as dangerous as deep flood water and conceal debris, unstable ground or swift currents.
Wednesday afternoon, McCullough’s Run Park, Mill Race Park and Noblitt Park all closed due to significant flooding. Officials advise residents to avoid all flooded areas, including park roads, trails and green spaces.
The Columbus Parks and Recreation crews will help clear the path and the parks once the floodwaters recede and reopen the closed parts of the trail and parks once they are deemed safe again.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, emergency management listed the following road closings and high water warnings:
High water:
Central Avenue/Broadmoor
County Road 250S – between 400W and 475W
County Road 400W – between 200S and 250S
County Road 300S – between 275W and 400W
Roads closed:
South Gladstone Avenue at the curves
County Road 475W between Carr Hill and County Road 250S
Rockyford – between Longshore and Marr Road
600E/850S
County Road 400N – Tinkey Bridge
Other counties in central Indiana join Bartholomew County under the National Weather Service Flood Warning:
In central Indiana — Bartholomew, Decatur, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, Rush and Shelby.
In east central Indiana — Henry.
In south central Indiana — Brown, Jackson, Lawrence and Monroe.
In southeast Indiana — Jennings.
In southwest Indiana — Daviess, Greene, Knox, Martin and Sullivan.
In west central Indiana — Clay, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion and Vigo.
