After storms late Monday and early Tuesday dumped up to 7 inches of rain on Northwest Indiana, communities were still experiencing scattered flooding, school delays, and power outages.
Flooding caused School City of Whiting officials to delay the start time for schools by two hours on Tuesday, according to a Facebook post.
“We want to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff as conditions improve,” Superintendent Dave Verta said in the statement.
BP’s Whiting Refinery operations were impacted by the thunderstorms, said spokesman Cesar Rodriguez. Materials have been burned in the flares to maintain safer operations, he said.
Odor was reported in the area of the refinery, Rodriquez said, and crews were responding.
“Our top priority is the safety of our employees, contractors and the community and the environment. We will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and are prepared to respond as necessary,” Rodriguez said.
The National Weather Service-Chicago office detailed several rounds of storms that moved through Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana starting Monday night. A flash flood warning was issued around 8 p.m., and Whiting experienced significant flooding. Ogden Dunes reported 5 inches of rain, while Lake Station saw 4.96 inches, according to the NWS website.
The Hammond Sanitary District late Monday night reported on social media that sewers throughout the district as well as the wastewater treatment plant were “at capacity” due to more than 6 inches of rain from Sunday to Monday. Nevertheless, the ground was “completely saturated” in areas, which helped cause flooding in North Hammond.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the “monsoon-like” storm plus rainfall over the weekend inundated its stormwater system with more than 8 inches of precipitation.
“At the peak of the storm, our plant saw flows of 160 million gallons — more than twice its design capacity of 68 million gallons. Our CSO basin was discharging at over 500 million gallons per day during the height of the storm, and even today we continue releasing water from the basin at a rate of 80 million gallons per day,” McDermott said in a Facebook post. “Every pump at every station was running continuously throughout the storm.”
The HSD pump station in Robertsdale is still operating at maximum capacity since Whiting’s retention basin overflowed, which is sending even more water into Hammond, McDermott said. He advised residents who need assistance to call (219) 853-6413 ext. 637.
Road flooding was still evident late Tuesday morning as 129th Street was closed to the east and west of Calumet Avenue, near Lost Marsh Golf Course, but some drivers were still trying to navigate the waters and road closure signs. An emergency alert was sent out from Lake County advising drivers to avoid flooded roads, particularly Indianapolis Boulevard from 120th to 129th and the areas of Dickey and Riley roads, where up to 3 feet of water was reported.
In East Chicago, Mayor Anthony Copeland said the city received around 6.7 inches of rain, and runoff from neighboring communities taxed the city’s sewers and water systems.
“Our pumps and water treatment plant have been operating at high capacity, funneling countless gallons of stormwater through the system in just a matter of hours,” Copeland said in a Tuesday morning Facebook post.
Copeland said the city would be coordinating a rubbish pickup schedule soon. He advised residents who need help with water in their basements or information on the Back Flow Valve Program to call the Sanitary District at 219-391-8466
In Gary, crews were working “around the clock” to respond to flooding, fallen trees and downed power lines, said spokeswoman Alexis Allen. The Glen Park and West Side neighborhoods saw the heaviest flooding throughout the city, she said.
The Gary Sanitary District received 102 calls about basement backups and localized flooding, Allen said. Given the call volume, crews are working 12-hour shifts and have been actively monitoring power lines, she said.
“Residents are reminded that the system can only manage a certain volume of water at a time, and water levels must recede before it can fully drain,” Allen said. “We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our residents as city crews continue working tirelessly to ensure safety and restore normal conditions.”
Munster Town Council President George Shinkan, R-1, said he was unaware of any serious issues.
Merrillville Town Council President Rick Bella, D-5, said things seemed to be in order there, too.
“As far as I know, everything was fine in town,” Bella said Tuesday. “Of course, there were pools of water here and there because it came down so quickly, it couldn’t drain, but I think by now everything is cleared up and we’re good to go.”
Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun said the city fared pretty well, with no major flooding, but about 1,700 residences were still without power early Tuesday afternoon.
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Porter County
Chesterton reported 3.03 inches of rain at the wastewater treatment plant on League Lane that fell between late Monday night and early Tuesday, said Kevin Nevers, the town’s spokesman.
There were 440,000 gallons of combined storm and wastewater bypassed into a 1.2 million-gallon storage basin. That basin protected the wastewater from overflowing into the Little Calumet River.
Only a few blocks over from the wastewater plant, a Chesterton building official reported 6 inches in his rain gauge on Morningside Drive.
Flooding was reported in the alley behind Val’s Famous Pizza & Grinders after a fuse blew out for a transformer for a lift station at 9 p.m. Monday. Kevin Murray, owner of Val’s, said he and his crew thought the big bang was thunder.
Murray soon learned of the transformer failure as his basement filled with water.
Assistant Street Commissioner Dan Moy said that after NIPSCO replaced the transformer fuse Tuesday morning, the alley quickly drained of water.
Flooding was also reported on Hogan Avenue in the Estates of Sand Creek neighborhood. Town Engineer Mark O’Dell and Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek were investigating the cause, which could have come from a blockage or detention ponds, which collect runoff in the subdivision, being at capacity.
Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said there was “nothing that anyone called the city about. At least not that reached me. We were blessed that we just had some puddles around town the next day.”
Porter County did not report any flooding at county-owned facilities.
Michelle L. Quinn, Jim Woods, Alexandra Kukulka, Doug Ross and Shelley Jones contributed.