Jefferson Street was closed Thursday and Friday due to flooding. Above, the Boys & Girls Club sign reflects its intent to close for the remainder of the week, while other businesses on E. Jefferson Street try to weather the high water. Pilot Photo/Maggie Nixon

By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — It’s all up to Mother Nature now.
City departments and emergency personnel have done what they can to subdue the flooding of the Yellow River, and now it’s time to wait and see.
Along with Jefferson Street early Wednesday, later in the day State Road 17 was closed on Lake Avenue near Center Street. Other than the obvious traffic tie ups caused by road closures, things appeared to be business as usual around town.
“Overall it seems that things have been going pretty smoothly,” said Plymouth Police Chief Jim Cox. “We only had one accident reported; somebody didn’t see a road closed sign until the last minute and veered off and hit a utility pole.”
So far there have been no reported injuries or other problems related to the flooding.
Efforts to evacuate those in residences in flood areas had been mostly successful, a few still elected to stay in their homes rather than move to another place of safety.
“I don’t think they are in any immediate danger, but it is going to get cold tonight (Thursday) and there is no power in those areas,” said Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter. “Hopefully that won’t cause any problems. Most people have moved to stay with family members and friends.”
Traffic seemed to be the biggest issue.
“Especially around school time,” said Senter. Senter and Assistant Superintendent of Plymouth Schools Dan Tyree met to discuss closing school. Tyree and Senter talked in detail how students would be effected by the flood, and it was decided that school would be closed for the day Friday.
Plymouth Park Department’s Conservation Clubhouse has become the latest casualty of the flood. Park Superintendent Mike Hite had an interesting sight on coming to work Wednesday morning.
“The refrigerator was actually floating in there,” he said of flood waters in the lower level of the structure. “So naturally we got it out of there this morning. The furnaces are up off the ground but they were in about a foot of water. There’s been water in there before so it’s not a big concern yet.”
Flooding along the river by the Clubhouse and in the east end of the park behind the sledding hill had also submerged two bridges on the Greenway Trail.
“The bridges are designed to handle this kind of thing,” said Hite. “What we’re kind of concerned about is the debris banging around them. We really have no way of assessing any damage until the water subsides.”
Boys & Girls Club
The Marshall County Boys & Girls Club fought valiantly but in the end the flood overcame it.
“The frustrating part was that we worked so very hard to fight it,” said Club Director Billie Treber. “We worked 24/7 for days. We’ll get through it though.”
Volunteers began pumping at the Club to try to keep flood waters from claiming the building. When power was turned off to the facility they lost two electric pumps, but kept trying with a gas powered pump. It simply wasn’t enough to keep the water away.
“We have about three steps to go before it gets out of the basement and into the main part of the club,” said Treber. “If it stays in the basement I’m pretty sure that we can clean up and open relatively quickly. If not, I’m not sure how long it might take.”
Volunteers secured what they could in the main building, moving everything that could be moved.
“Things like the pool tables were just too heavy to get out. We’ve got those things up on pallets to get them off the floor,” said Treber. “Everything else we’ve moved out. All the supplies and records and the computer equipment are all out.”
The Club is anticipated to remain closed in best case scenario until a week after the waters subside.
“We can’t do anything until the water subsides and then we’ll first have to have somebody go in and assess the damage,” said Treber. “If it’s just cosmetic things I’m confident we can get back open in a week. The first thing we’ll have to do is check electrics and there could be some pipe damage.
“What I’m looking forward to is getting the kids back in there.”
Culligan Soft Water
This is nothing new to Joe Adams of Culligan Soft Water on Jefferson Street.
“It happened in ’78, ’82, ’85 and ’91,” said Adams. “We kind of know what to expect by now. The only flood I haven’t been through was the one in 1954 so I guess I’m dating myself a little.”
By Wednesday, flood waters had reached Culligans’ loading dock, but being veterans of local river floods  —  the employees were ready.
“We got everything outside like we always do,” said Adams. “It makes it inconvenient. As long as it doesn’t freeze we’re okay. We’ll just keep plugging away.”
Though the waters were high, Adams says it has been worse.
“In 1982 it got a lot worse,” said Adams. “They’re talking about it cresting around 15 feet and back then it got over 16.”
He also had praise for city efforts in recent years that have helped mitigate the damage.
“The city has done a great job of separating the storm sewers down here from the septic,” he said. “Those improvements have really helped.”
 County Commissioners
Because of the flooding — and the large amount of rain and snow — a few problems at the new Marshall County Jail have become apparent.
“We had some leaks in the roof, but we’ve had that nearly every time it rains from another direction,” said President of the Marshall County Commissioners Tom Chamberlin. “It’s not really all that unusual and it hasn’t been a deluge, just dripping.”
Contractors were called back in to make the needed repairs.
“It’s really not all that unusual to new construction and it’s really just annoying,” said Chamberlin. “That’s one reason why we’ve waited to move in personnel until all the bugs are worked out.”
Drainage around the facility has Chamberlin encouraged.
“Monday night when I was there the retention ponds were really high,” he said. “The last time I was there they’d lowered considerably and the ditch was flowing normally so that has me very encouraged. The drainage appears to be in good shape.”