Study: Rain, Not Marsh Restoration, Caused Flooding In Beverly Shores, Ind.
BEVERLY SHORES, Ind. (CBS) -- A federal study has shed some light on the cause of perpetually flooded basements in the lakeside town of Beverly Shores in Northwest Indiana.
As WBBM Newsradio's Felicia Middlebrooks reports, flooded basements have almost been the norm in the past few years for residents of the beach community.
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Some blamed the restoration of the Great Marsh, a nearby wetlands area.
But a new federal study has concluded that heavy seasonal rains are the real culprit, the Northwest Indiana Times reported.
The Northwest Indiana Times reports the U.S. Geological Survey found that any impact on the town has been minor following the 1998 through 2002 restoration of the Great Marsh area. Lead author Paul Buszka says the real culprit is the heavier than normal rains that occurred from 2006 to 2009.
Among the evidence that led to the conclusion was that when it rained in Beverly Shores, water levels actually rose faster and higher the residential area than in the marsh, the newspaper reported.
But Beverly Shores Town Council member Angela Maurello is not convinced by the study. She tells the newspaper that the standing water and collapsed roads that have plagued the town in recent years have all occurred since the marsh restoration.
Town Council President Geof Benson blamed global warming for the increased rain and said it would likely continue in coming years, the Northwest Indiana Times reported. He says action is going to be necessary, the newspaper reported.
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