Lakes Closed, Damage Reports Requested
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
The closed lakes include Tippecanoe Lake, Oswego, James Lake, Big Barbee Lake, Little Barbee Lake, Little Barbee Lake, Irish Kuhn Lake, Sechrist Lake and Winona Lake.[[In-content Ad]]The executive order, signed Monday afternoon by Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director Robert E. Carter, is effective immediately and will continue until the threat of flooding has passed and the order is lifted. Persons with interests on those lakes are asked to monitor local media outlets for the current operational status of the lake in their area. Non-motorized watercraft, such as canoes and kayaks, are not affected by the order.
Residents who sustained damage caused by severe weather, including wind and flooding beginning March 8, are urged to call a toll-free number to report damage. The number is 866-210-1925 and is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday. Damage reports also may be made online via the IDHS Web site at www.in.gov/dhs
Callers will be asked to provide their name, address, phone number, damage to property and type of damage the property sustained. Losses can include structural damage to homes and loss of personal property.
Individuals calling will not be in conversation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Information will be used to help local emergency management agencies, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security preliminarily assess damage to determine if federal assistance can be pursued.
Kosciusko REMC recently gave tips on flood safety.
Floodwaters are very destructive, but when they come in contact with electricity, they can be deadly, said Kosciusko REMC Energy Advisor Carol Presley.
That's why local residents need to be extremely careful when entering flooded areas or working with electric appliances or other devices once the floodwaters recede. Kosciusko REMC offers this advice for dealing with flooding and electricity:
- Do not step into a flooded basement or any other room where floodwaters may be in contact with electrical wall outlets, appliances or power cords, because of the risk for electrocution and because the floodwater may be contaminated by sewage or chemicals.
- If you cannot reach your circuit breaker box without standing in floodwater, do not attempt to turn the power off. Instead, call KREMC or your power company, and ask them to disconnect power at your meter.
- Stay away from downed power lines, even if they appear to be dead. Report them to KREMC, or your power company or local fire department.
- Do not use any electrical equipment or touch wires or switches when you're standing in water or wet areas. Keep all electrical equipment at least 10 feet away from wet areas.
- If you've been forced to evacuate your home, stay out until local authorities tell you that it's safe to return. When you do enter your home, be very careful, because objects will have moved around, the floors are likely to be slippery, and there may been hidden damage to floors and walls.
- After the flooding has ended, KREMC urges you to continue to be careful with any electrical equipment that has been in contact with the floodwaters.
- Replace any circuit breakers that have been submerged.
- Have an electrician check any appliances that have been in contact with water before you test or use it. Otherwise, you may receive a serious shock or burn out any motors or similar components.
- Any insulated appliances, such as refrigerators and ovens, should have the insulation replaced if it became wet in the flood.
- Toasters and other appliances used to prepare food should be dried completely. Then thoroughly clean and disinfect all the parts that come in contact with food, and allow them to dry again before using them.
Special care should be taken with gas furnaces or stoves, wood stoves, and any other devices that use combustion.
If you smell natural gas, leave your home and contact your gas utility. Do not attempt to use your gas furnace or stove until it has been inspected by a service professional.
Be sure that other devices that use combustion are also inspected to ensure that they are not releasing any deadly carbon monoxide gas into your home. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so be sure to have equipment checked by a trained professional.
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The closed lakes include Tippecanoe Lake, Oswego, James Lake, Big Barbee Lake, Little Barbee Lake, Little Barbee Lake, Irish Kuhn Lake, Sechrist Lake and Winona Lake.[[In-content Ad]]The executive order, signed Monday afternoon by Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director Robert E. Carter, is effective immediately and will continue until the threat of flooding has passed and the order is lifted. Persons with interests on those lakes are asked to monitor local media outlets for the current operational status of the lake in their area. Non-motorized watercraft, such as canoes and kayaks, are not affected by the order.
Residents who sustained damage caused by severe weather, including wind and flooding beginning March 8, are urged to call a toll-free number to report damage. The number is 866-210-1925 and is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday. Damage reports also may be made online via the IDHS Web site at www.in.gov/dhs
Callers will be asked to provide their name, address, phone number, damage to property and type of damage the property sustained. Losses can include structural damage to homes and loss of personal property.
Individuals calling will not be in conversation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Information will be used to help local emergency management agencies, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security preliminarily assess damage to determine if federal assistance can be pursued.
Kosciusko REMC recently gave tips on flood safety.
Floodwaters are very destructive, but when they come in contact with electricity, they can be deadly, said Kosciusko REMC Energy Advisor Carol Presley.
That's why local residents need to be extremely careful when entering flooded areas or working with electric appliances or other devices once the floodwaters recede. Kosciusko REMC offers this advice for dealing with flooding and electricity:
- Do not step into a flooded basement or any other room where floodwaters may be in contact with electrical wall outlets, appliances or power cords, because of the risk for electrocution and because the floodwater may be contaminated by sewage or chemicals.
- If you cannot reach your circuit breaker box without standing in floodwater, do not attempt to turn the power off. Instead, call KREMC or your power company, and ask them to disconnect power at your meter.
- Stay away from downed power lines, even if they appear to be dead. Report them to KREMC, or your power company or local fire department.
- Do not use any electrical equipment or touch wires or switches when you're standing in water or wet areas. Keep all electrical equipment at least 10 feet away from wet areas.
- If you've been forced to evacuate your home, stay out until local authorities tell you that it's safe to return. When you do enter your home, be very careful, because objects will have moved around, the floors are likely to be slippery, and there may been hidden damage to floors and walls.
- After the flooding has ended, KREMC urges you to continue to be careful with any electrical equipment that has been in contact with the floodwaters.
- Replace any circuit breakers that have been submerged.
- Have an electrician check any appliances that have been in contact with water before you test or use it. Otherwise, you may receive a serious shock or burn out any motors or similar components.
- Any insulated appliances, such as refrigerators and ovens, should have the insulation replaced if it became wet in the flood.
- Toasters and other appliances used to prepare food should be dried completely. Then thoroughly clean and disinfect all the parts that come in contact with food, and allow them to dry again before using them.
Special care should be taken with gas furnaces or stoves, wood stoves, and any other devices that use combustion.
If you smell natural gas, leave your home and contact your gas utility. Do not attempt to use your gas furnace or stove until it has been inspected by a service professional.
Be sure that other devices that use combustion are also inspected to ensure that they are not releasing any deadly carbon monoxide gas into your home. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so be sure to have equipment checked by a trained professional.
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