Van Wert County EMA

09/23/2026

REMINDER: Hazard Mitigation Planning Meeting TONIGHT

Van Wert County is updating our Hazard Mitigation Plan, and we want your input!

This update is required by FEMA every five years to remain eligible for funding projects. Municipalities, police and fire departments, schools, businesses, and the public may receive funding for any mitigation strategy found in the approved and adopted plan update. For this plan update, Mercer and Van Wert counties will be completing a multi-county regional plan. Community input is critical to this plan's success (and the FEMA approval process)

Tonight — Wednesday, September 23
7:00 PM
Vantage Career Center Community Room
818 N. Franklin St., Van Wert

This meeting is open to the public, and we encourage residents, local officials, first responders, schools, businesses, and community organizations to participate.

Learn more about the planning process:
https://u.osu.edu/mercervanwerthmp/

Questions? Email [email protected]

We hope to see you tonight!

09/21/2026

This morning at 5:30am the Wren, Willshire and Decatur Fire Departments were dispatched to Harner Road for an individual who drove around Road Closed signs and ended up in high water. First responders reported that the water depth during the rescue was over their waist.

We, again, urge you to please obey Road Closed signs and barricades. DO NOT attempt to pass through high water until it has subsided.

While the St. Mary's River is slowly receding, field run-off and drainage will continue to impact roadways.

09/20/2026

The Flood Watch has been extended through 2:00am Monday morning. Showers are currently pushing through Indiana now and may bring additional rainfall through this evening.

Most areas in the county saw anywhere between 0.3-0.6” this morning. Pictured below are areas near Willshire that continue to make roadways impassable and the water depth is much higher than you may think. Do not drive around barricades.

Stay safe!

09/20/2026

The Flood Watch has been extended until 2:00pm this afternoon for additional rainfall up to 1" possible from showers moving through this morning.

Flooding is currently ongoing in Willshire with US33 and SR49 leading into Willshire still shut down. Remember to obey all road closed signs and do not try to make it through high water!

Looking back at August- 2026 sits at the #2 wettest August for Van Wert County on record (110 years) after receiving 9.23" of rain! 2007 is the wettest August on record with a total rainfall of 11.86".

09/19/2026

Please be cautious on roadways and understand that the water is deeper than you think.

Stay safe!

Please obey any and all road closed signs in the area. We assure you they are there for a reason. We are just returning from a call for a car stuck in high water that moved the barricades and drove around them. Current road closers include state route 49, US 33, Piqua, Harner, and the state line.

More rain is on the way which will only worsen conditions and may lead to more road closures.

09/19/2026

A Flood Watch is in effect until 8:00am Sunday for additional rainfall up to 1.5”.

With the immense saturation of the ground over the last few days, additional rainfall could bring increased flooding to areas around Willshire. Currently, there are road closures at SR49 and SR33 leading into Willshire due to high water, along with areas in the village itself.

As of 6:00am, the St Mary’s river is observed to be at 12.69’ and is forecast to crest later this morning at 12.73’.

Please monitor rising water conditions through today and tomorrow and heed all road closed and high water signs.

09/17/2026

Flash Flood WARNING for SW Van Wert County (Wren and Willshire) until 2:15pm today.

A Flood Watch is in effect for Van Wert County until 2:00pm today.

After the SW portion of the county receiving almost 2" of rain the the last 18 hours, roadways can become hazardous with high water. There have been several reports from counties in Indiana with highwater issues. An additional 1-2" is expected by mid-day.

We will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates as needed.

Stay safe, everyone!

09/14/2026

Van Wert County is updating our County's Hazard Mitigation Plan. This update is required by FEMA every five years to remain eligible for funding projects. Municipalities, police and fire departments, schools, businesses, and the public may receive funding for any mitigation strategy found in the approved and adopted plan update. For this plan update, Mercer and Van Wert counties will be completing a multi-county regional plan. Community input is critical to this plan's success (and the FEMA approval process). As such, we are asking for your participation in the planning process at the upcoming meeting: 7:00 pm at 818 North Franklin St, Van Wert, OH 45981 in the Community Room on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026. For more information, visit https://u.osu.edu/mercervanwerthmp/ or email [email protected].

09/05/2026

VAN WERT COUNTY STORM DAMAGE REPORTING

Van Wert County Emergency Management is asking residents and property owners to report damage resulting from the early morning storms of September 5, 2026.

We are specifically looking for reports involving:

Flooding / Water Damage
Structural Damage to homes, businesses, barns, garages, or other buildings
Wind Damage, including roofs, siding, trees, utility-related damage, and other storm impacts

Please submit an individual report for each damaged property or location using the form below. Detailed information helps us develop an accurate picture of the extent of damage across Van Wert County.

Please submit a report even if you have already reported the damage to your insurance company, fire department, township, municipality, or another agency.

Submit Storm Damage Here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKol0fIktG8pAbUS1gZ8nVcZzUvgnyvXrh7PnMGCr7AbM3qw/viewform

Please share this post so we can reach residents throughout Van Wert County and ensure damage is accurately documented.

This form is for damage reporting only. If you have an immediate emergency or life-safety concern, call 911.

Put yourself on the list to get checked for things such as flood damage, structure damage, and wind damage.

09/05/2026

🚨 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southern Van Wert County until Sep 5, 7:00 AM EDT.

Hazards: wind gusts up to 60 mph and .75-inch hail.

Move indoors and stay away from windows until the warning has passed.

Follow Van Wert County Emergency Management for updates.