Last Wednesday evening, one of our reporters returned to the newsroom after a jam-packed day of breaking news coverage and reported to the news team, “It’s like an amusement attraction down there.”

Kelsey Hammon described the large crowd of people lining Front Street wielding smart phones and cameras, capturing a catastrophic event.

Though public safety and government officials eventually warned Niles area residents to avoid the rising flood waters due to contaminates and unsafe road conditions, folks continued to make the trek down to the flood site, eager to satisfy their curiosity and witness a sight most had never seen — at least not in Niles.

The result of rapidly melting snow pack and heavy rainfall less than two weeks after a series of blizzards, this flood was a historic event — one that, while expected in some capacity, exceeded expectations of both local and national meteorologists.

Skyview images captured with drones showed city streets covered in water. The skate park near Riverfront Park looked more like a swimming pool than skate ramps, and it was impossible to see the riverbank at all.

According to the National Weather Service, only three times in the last 68 years has the St. Joseph River flooded into the Niles city limits at all, and the flood of 2018 exceeded the previous record by more than two feet.

While certainly an intriguing phenomenon, this event encapsulated every essence of the term, “natural disaster.” It left many residents without homes, business owners with ruined businesses, and the entire community with damaged city infrastructure and public parks.

As a result of the flood, initial review indicated there would be significant damage to approximately 46 private homes and nine commercial structures. Niles City and Berrien County crews continue to assess the extent of the damage this week.

My heart goes out to the hundreds of people impacted by this life-altering event, as I can only imagine the loss they must be feeling.

I was not at all surprised to see this community come together to help those hurting. As flood waters rose, fundraisers were launched. Cleanup crews were compiled. People opened their homes to displaced flood victims. Businesses gathered donations of food, toiletries and cleanup supplies to give out at local organizations such as the YMCA and United Way of Southwest Michigan.

I say I am not surprised because this community continually proves that it supports one another in times of crisis. No matter the emergency, Michiana residents roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand.

As those impacted by this flood begin to heal and recoup from the tragedy, it is important that we learn from this historic event, and thank our lucky stars that those tasked with keeping our community safe were able to prevent any lives from being lost, despite the fact that many were dealing with uncharted territory in a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

I applaud our local leaders, our public safety officials, and most of all, our community for handling this tragedy with a level of grace and compassion for which we can all be proud.