The Martin County Commissioners issued a local disaster emergency declaration on Thursday afternoon due to sustained flooding in the area.
The National Weather Service said the East Fork of the White River at Shoals isn’t expected to crest until early Friday morning and won’t fall below flood stage levels until around April 17.
Martin County’s Emergency Management Director Andy Ringwald estimated that 10 to 15 families in Shoals had to vacate their homes to avoid being trapped by the rising waters. Those in more rural parts of the county face other issues.
“The other challenge is a number of people who are isolated due to flooding roads,” he said. “Most of them generally have plans with ATVs to go up over the hill and through the neighbor’s property to get out. But the (issue) is just the inconvenience of being stuck in place as much as being forced out.”
On Tuesday the town declared a wastewater emergency after officials were forced to shut down multiple pumps that direct wastewater to the treatment plant. This caused the Shoals Community Schools Corporation to go on e-Learning on Wednesday.
Duke Energy workers were in the area Thursday disconnecting electricity to homes within two feet of floodwaters. They also removed the meter for Shoals Municipal Utilities’ water pumps, though the town said services are expected to continue uninterrupted.
Ringwald said the flood hit approximately the same level in 2005.
“For us old-timers, we've seen it, we kind of know what's happening,” he said. “And it's, I guess, our position to teach the next generation what to expect in another 20 years.”
Read more: Hoosiers still dealing with flooding from heavy rains
