County Commissioners issue emergency declaration due to county-wide flooding

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Published: Friday, 19 June 2015 19:46

County-wide severe flooding has caused the Pulaski County Commissioners to issue a local emergency proclamation. 

The declaration was made at 12 noon Friday (June 19) and will remain in effect until such time the commissioners evaluate the hazard to be ended.

Under the proclamation, all county roads have been deemed hazardous and impassable due to high waters. Residents and travelers into the county should take caution.

In the document signed by commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Bud Krohn Jr., they declared that a "state of emergency exists in Pulaski County and we hereby invoke and declare those portion of the Indiana Code which are applicable to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this proclamation to be in full force and effect in the county for the exercise of all necessary emergency authority for the protection of the lives and property of the people of Pulaski County and the restoration of local government with a minimum of interruption."

The document further notes that all activities should be approached with extreme caution.

The proclamation goes on to direct all public offices and employees of Pulaski County to exercise the "utmost diligence" in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency and in execution of emergency laws, regulations and directives - state and local.

All citizens are called upon and directed, by the proclamation, to comply with necessary emergency measures, to cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

All operating forces will direct their communications and requests for assistance and operations directly to the Pulaski County Emergency 911 Center.

Heavy rainfall in June, and particularly last weekend, caused many county roads to be closed this past week due to flooding. Some roads remain closed. The Tippecanoe River has also reached near-major (or in some areas just over major) flooding levels, as defined by the National Weather Service, this weekend. A NWS flood warning remains in effect until further notice for the Tippecanoe River in Pulaski County.