Floods of March 1982, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Abstract

Rapid melting of a snowpack containing up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of water equivalent, which occurred with a moderate rainfall of up to 3 inches (8 centimeters), caused major flooding in March 1982 in northern Indiana, northwestern Ohio, northeastern Illinois, and southern Michigan. Particular attention is given in the paper to the Maumee River basin, where flooding on most large streams was the worst since the devastating flood of 1913. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, flooding of the Maumee River and its tributaries, the St. Marys and the St. Joseph Rivers, damaged 1,500 homes and 100 businesses, forced the evacuation of 9,000 people, and caused over $50 million in damage. A major flood-fighting effort prevented additional damage.