High water of rise in South Bend area: Record-breaking rainfall; more on the way

More trouble could be on the way. Dropping temperatures could turn the water into ice in the early morning hours of Wednesday. The river, meanwhile, may not crest until Thursday, stretching concerns about flooding further into the week.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg warned about the rising water levels and the expected falling temperatures during a press conference updating the public on the storm. He said that the river is expected to crest at 11.3 by Thursday morning, and that will break the record for river level, which currently stands at 10.9 feet.

The mayor also said that Northside Boulevard between 20th Street and the Farmer’s Market, Riverside Drive from Michigan Street to Lafayette Boulevard and Riverside from Marion Street to Bartlett Street are closed. “Whether or not there is a barrier closing off a street, one thing the city wants residents to know is that they should not drive or walk through standing water,” the mayor said.

Residents will be able to call the 311 call center at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. The center remained open until midnight on Tuesday.

Tuesday night, the city announced that the O’Brien Recreation Center, 321 E. Walter St., would be designated a 24-hour warming center for people displaced from the expected flooding. It can be accessed via Fellows Street.

The heavy rains had already set records on Monday, with South Bend breaking a record for maximum daily rainfall with 1.27 inches. The previous record was 1 inch set in 1908.