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Flood Waters Recede as Ice Floes Break Free in Royalton Township

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Some times when nature takes its course, things work out for themselves. Nature can be its own best remediator in some cases, and such was the case late last night and earlier today according to the Berrien County Emergency Management team.

Capt. Rockey Adams updated us today on the state of affairs where flooding had consumed large spaces along the St. Joseph River in Royalton Township.

As is readily evident in the aerial photo that Adams shared with us, residents along that portion of the Saint Joseph River near the Somerlayton Bridge have seen some relief as flood waters receded late Wednesday evening and overnight into this morning, Thursday, February 7th. Some slight ponding on the roadways remain, but there has been a significant reduction of water from yards and along the river.

In the evening hours, ice collected along the M-139 Highway bridge, the Somerlayton Bridge, broke free and allowed the river to flow more normally. Adams says, “Within a few hours, residents were reporting that they saw an 8-inch drop of pooled water from the roads and from the drainage ditches in several side yards.” Capt. Adams is the Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator.

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He says residents who need help recovering should call 2-1-1 for referrals to community resources and advice.

He adds, “We were happy to work with Township Officials during this incident and will continue discussions to identify possible options to lessen the impact of flooding,” and concludes, “We were especially thankful for the community volunteers who answered the call to help fill and transport sandbags to residents.”