Photo courtesy of Google Maps.
Near Huntington County, Ind., four cities lay at the bottom of the Salamonie Reservoir after they were evacuated then flooded during the reservoir's creation in 1967.
Now, more than half of a century later, a town called Monument City has re-emerged as a result of the severe drought that has been plaguing the area and much of the Midwest.
The evaporating water has allowed reservoir visitors to find old doorknobs, coins and the building blocks of an old school house.
Even human bones were among the items to float ashore.
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When the cities were flooded to create the reservoir, a few cemeteries existed in the path of the plans, requiring graves to be relocated.
Some unmarked graves existed, however, and their contents have since surfaced, much to the surprise of area fisherman.
But this occurrence isn't as rare as you might think, Department of Natural Resources Spokesman Phil Boom said.
"There has been a lot of misinformation about this site regarding it being the first time," Bloom said. "It's available to be seen every winter, but it's rare during the summertime."
Since word has spread about the town's visibility, the reservoir has hosted two guided tours.
One tour drew in a crowd of over 850 people, around 10 times the amount of people in Monument County at its peak, Bloom said.
The former 15-acre town got its name from the monument that was erected to honor 27 local men that died during the civil war.
Though the drought has provided a unique opportunity for visitors, safety is paramount.
The reservoir's cavernous bottom may be a haven for fish, but boaters should exercise caution when passing through. With such low waters, the remaining foundations of the underwater towns are closer to the surface than usual.
The focus for severe storms will move into the Ohio Valley and resume over New York state on Wednesday.
Severe storms are shifting eastward Wednesday afternoon delivering strong wind, heavy rain and hail.
So far this year California has seen 1,569 wildfires, 85 percent more than in an average year.
The Memorial Day weekend will begin cool, windy and rainy in New England and part of the mid-Atlantic.
GOES-East failed again late Tuesday. It is one of the main satellites meteorologists use for the eastern part of the United States and the tropical Atlantic.
On the two-year anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that leveled Joplin, Mo., the town has deployed assistance to Moore, Okla.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
San Antonio, TX (1998)
Very dry since April 1st - only 0.05 of rain.
Hallam, NE (2004)
The "Hallam" tornado touched on the ground
for 2.5 miles and reached F4 status at it's
peak intensity. 95% if the town of
Hallan's buildings were damages or destroyed.
Liberal, KS (1933)
A powerful F4 tornado (winds 207-260 mph)
hidden in a dust storm devastates the business
district. 4 people were killed and 150 were
injured. Tornado estimated to be 600 yards
wide at times.
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