Indiana's Worst Flood in Over a Century Leaves Seven Dead and Thousands Displaced

A Record Broken After 113 Years

A catastrophic flood event has left Indiana reeling, shattering a water level record that had stood since 1913 and claiming at least seven lives across the state. The disaster unfolded over several days beginning August 11, when a stalled storm system unleashed relentless rainfall across central and eastern Indiana — a stretch of weather that emergency officials are calling "once-in-a-lifetime."

Some parts of Indiana received more than 11 inches of rainfall over three days, beginning August 11, causing record floods. That volume of water overwhelmed rivers and drainage systems across the region, with the White River bearing the worst of it. The White River crested just shy of 25 feet in the cities of Anderson and Noblesville — more than a foot above the record set in 1913. The August 2026 event is a summer-only rainfall flood, which makes surpassing the 1913 crest more meteorologically significant: it arrived with none of the snowmelt advantage that made the 1913 levels extreme.

Deaths, Rescues, and Mass Evacuations

At least seven people have died following storms that swept through Indiana over the past several days, according to state officials. The victims span from northwest Indiana to the southeast corner of the state. Liz Woods, a Delaware County official, identified 19-year-old Matthew Morey and Stephanie Sallee, 58, as flood victims. Among the other tragedies, a four-year-old boy perished when a tree fell on his home.

First responders used boats to rescue people from rising waters in neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Fire Department reported rescues of 95 people and 45 pets as of late afternoon on Saturday, August 15. Over 350 evacuations were reported in Delaware County alone by August 15. Northwest Indiana was hit by powerful winds, while central parts of the state were slammed with torrential rainfall and significant flooding. Some areas received as much as 10 inches of rain, while wind gusts in Gary reached at least 95 mph. Nearly a third of Indiana's counties reported damage from straight-line winds.

Federal Emergency Declaration Unlocks Aid

President Donald Trump on Saturday, August 16, approved an emergency declaration for Indiana, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist with recovery efforts from the storm. The declaration made federal disaster assistance available for flood and storm recovery in Madison County and 52 other counties across the state, including Delaware, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, and Tipton.

The President's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all federal disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency, and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, protect property, public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. Indiana Governor Mike Braun had declared a statewide emergency ahead of the federal action. "My heart is with the families and loved ones of the Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms," Braun said.

Waters Receding, But Recovery Will Take Time

Officials in hard-hit Hamilton County said on Sunday, August 16, that the floodwaters were finally starting to recede from what was described as "historic flooding" in the county. The water level in the White River had dropped to 21 feet as of Sunday morning, which officials described as a "significant decrease." Still, one of the bridges crossing the White River in Hamilton County was damaged in the storm, and officials cautioned that hazards had not fully passed.

The road to recovery will be long. The Whitewater Valley Railroad estimated the cost to repair damage to its railroads to be in the millions. With 53 counties covered under the federal emergency declaration, the scale of rebuilding — homes, roads, bridges, and infrastructure — is enormous. The 1913 record had survived more than a century of Indiana storms. The fact that a summer rain event, without any snowmelt assist, erased it so decisively raises urgent questions about what future flood seasons may look like as climate patterns continue to shift.