Temperatures warming up next week brings a possibility for flooding and city and county officials say they are prepared. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city will begin to get sandbags ready soon at the Warsaw Street Department. He advises residents to clear catch basins that have snow around them on their property to make sure water drains properly. Thallemer thanked the city employees for their snow removal efforts. “The city is keeping an eye on areas where flooding usually occurs and that need sandbags, and are checking water levels and if they are getting high will deliver sandbags,” Thallemer said. Thallemer said as far as snow storage, the city has made provisions to store snow at the wastewater department for additional storage space. The city has been storing snow at Boggs Addition and the former Madison Elementary School parking lot. Randy Ingle, Warsaw street department assistant supervisor, said if there is another snowstorm there will not be room in Boggs Addition to store additional snow. Ingle said the city’s street department will begin to have sand bags available for residents on pallets at the Warsaw Street Department, 794 W. Center St., once the snow melts. Ingle said the department is in the process of clearing storm drains to make sure they are draining properly before possible flooding is to occur. “We are getting catch basins opened up right now,” Ingle said. Ed Rock, Kosciusko County Emergency Management director, said sand and bags are now available at the Kosciusko County Highway Department garage, 2936 E. Old 30, Warsaw, for county residents. Residents who want sandbags are advised to bring a shovel to fill the sandbags. “Anytime there is a threat of flooding we keep the sandbags at the county highway department garage,” Rock said. “People need to make sure they figure out where the high points are on their property and make a trough for the melted snow and rain water to get it away from their homes so they don’t end up with flooding,” he said. Rock said if there is a quick melt there will be surface water, and if it is not given an avenue it will build up in places residents may or may not want it to. “If we get a quick melt where the temperatures built up drastically and we get some rain with it we will have surface flooding because the ground is frozen,” Rock said. “There is no place for the water to soak in and the water will run and pool into low areas.”
