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A gentle snowfall provides a serene mask over the first
of two January floods in Marion County.

By almost every meteorological measure, January 2005 is a month that many Hoosiers would like to forget.

More than 2 feet of snow was dumped on some parts of the state followed by 9 inches of rain. The melting snow and rainfall produced moderate flooding around the state during the first full week of January.

By the time people had cleaned up that mess, they were hit with a second round of flooding. Round two was a lot bigger. Several stream monitoring gauges on the Wabash and White rivers placed round two as one of the five biggest since the1911 flood, which is not so affectionately referred to as The Big One.

If that weren’t enough, ice storms left thousands of Hoosiers in north central Indiana without electricity for days.

More than 3,000 state employees worked an estimated 145,000 hours on the January floods and ice storm. That doesn’t include the National Guard, local government authorities and volunteers who sandbagged levees at several locations.

Indiana conservation officers perform more water rescues than any other single organization. They rescued 238 people, 12 dogs and 2 cats in January. That got the attention of the national Fox News Network, which had our officers on for two live television interviews.

Flooding isn’t new, but some people are noticing changes in flood patterns. Here are some friendly tips to help you in these days of global warming and urban sprawl.

Know where you live. Not all houses that get flooded are in a designated flood zone. Your realtor may not have informed you that you are in a floodway. A lot of the 2003 flood victims were in areas that hadn’t flooded in recent memory.

Purchase flood insurance. You don’t have to be in a flood-prone area to qualify. You just need to own something worth insuring.

Don’t let the neighborhood levee make you feel too secure. Few levees are designed to withstand the most severe floods, and you don’t want to be around if they fail. Pay attention to what’s going on and head for high ground when local authorities bring out the sandbags.

Always have plenty of waders. Floodwater is dirty and it can be cold. You may feel a little nerdy, but wearing a life jacket while you’re plodding through floodwater is no crime.

Always have an escape plan. Most folks who live near rivers have been through floods before. They usually know when it’s time to leave and they have a way out. Most of the time.

The water raised faster and higher during the second January flood than most savvy river watchers predicted, resulting in several rescues that shouldn’t have been necessary. If you don’t have a canoe or rowboat, leave early rather than later.

Here’s the most important tip of all. Never drive into moving water—especially after dark. Too many times conservation officers are called to rescue stranded motorists who thought they could make it through high water.

These can be some of the most dangerous rescues with some of the most serious consequences. The one fatality directly related to being caught up in the January floods was of a fellow who drove his pickup into Wabash River floodwater near Williamsport.

Visit www.dnr.IN.gov/water and www.fema.gov for more information about dealing with floods. Also, check with your local planning department.

Wouldn’t you know? It’s February, it’s raining and flood warnings are being issued for southern and western Indiana.