At least six people, including a minor, have lost their lives in Indiana (United States) due to the strong storm episode that has been hitting the state since last Tuesday. The intense rains pose a serious flood threat to large areas, while emergency teams continue with rescue and evacuation tasks.
State authorities updated the provisional death toll linked to the storm to six this Saturday. The deceased have been found in different counties, including Jennings, Delaware, White, Porter, and La Porte.
Among the victims is a four-year-old boy from Jennings County, in southeastern Indiana, who died on Tuesday when a tree fell on his home during the storm.
In Delaware County, rescue services have found the body of a 58-year-old woman and have also confirmed the death of a 19-year-old young man. In the case of the woman, investigators believe she died while trying to cross a flooded area in her car.
The storm has generated a particularly critical situation in the center of the state, where the White River has overflowed its banks, forcing the deployment of a large emergency response. The most affected areas are located along the river, from Hamilton County to the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.
In the capital, water has covered streets and entered homes, forcing some residents to leave their houses in kayaks and small boats. The Indianapolis Fire Department has reported that its personnel have carried out 50 water rescues and have assisted in the evacuation of 91 people and 45 pets.
The mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, has described the episode as exceptional and has urged residents near rivers and streams to exercise caution and leave the areas at risk due to the flooding.
"The city of Indianapolis is currently facing an unprecedented flood in over 30 years," he stated. "This is a situation that is constantly evolving, and conditions can change, and in fact change, very quickly," he warned in statements collected by NBC News.
Rivers with record floods in over a century
The intensity of the rains has been reflected in the river records. In Noblesville, north of Indianapolis, the White River has broken a record that had stood for 113 years, reaching 24.6 feet (about 7.50 meters), surpassing the 23.8 feet (approximately 7.25 meters) recorded in 1913.
"The last 48 hours have been unprecedented in this community," said the local mayor, Chris Jensen, in a video shared on social media.
According to the National Weather Service, some areas have received more than 28 centimeters of rain in just two days. Indiana Governor Mike Braun has specified that certain areas have accumulated between six and nearly twelve inches (approximately between 15.2 and 30.5 centimeters) of precipitation, fueling the floods downstream.
Braun declared a state of emergency at the beginning of the week and indicated this Saturday that he has spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about the situation. According to the governor, an expedited federal emergency declaration is being processed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
"My condolences to the families and loved ones of the five Indiana residents we have lost, and to all the families whose lives have been affected by these storms," Braun stated this Saturday in a statement reproduced by the same outlet. "Please continue to take the floods seriously and stay away from flooded areas," he added.
Power outages and the risk of new floods persist
Meanwhile, more than 150,000 subscribers have been left without electricity in the state due to the storm. Authorities insist that the threat continues, as the ground is completely soaked and any new round of rains could quickly trigger more floods.
"As for the floods, I repeat, it is a problem that persists. It will continue for at least the next 24 hours, and then we will begin the recovery process," Whitham insisted.
The forecasts maintain the risk of flash floods across a wide swath of the Midwest and the eastern part of the country, from Iowa to West Virginia. Meteorologists anticipate new showers and thunderstorms, while the White River could remain at elevated levels for the next few hours in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
This episode of severe weather is framed within a chain of adverse phenomena that in recent days has struck other areas of the U.S. Midwest, with tornadoes, torrential rains, and flash floods from the Chicago area to western Pennsylvania.
In light of the persistence of water, local authorities have reiterated their calls to the public not to attempt to cross flooded roads or areas and to follow the instructions of emergency services while the storm continues to evolve.