RUSH COUNTY, Ind. — The Midwest is grappling with relentless storms as Friday marks the sixth consecutive day of heavy downpours, exacerbating an ongoing flood crisis. Hundreds have been displaced in recent days, with the situation worsening by the hour.
In response, Indiana’s Governor, Mike Braun, has appealed for a Presidential Emergency Declaration via FEMA, aiming to secure essential support for flood relief and recovery efforts.
Among the heroic rescues during this turbulent weather pattern, a local farmer’s quick action prevented tragedy when he rescued a toddler from a perilously flooded basement, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Earlier this week, parts of Indiana faced unprecedented weather, recording a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall on Wednesday. This prompted officials to execute emergency water rescues and mandate evacuations, as riverbanks overflowed and waters inundated homes and roads. In response, Gov. Mike Braun issued a statewide disaster emergency and activated the Indiana National Guard.
As additional rainfall looms, millions in the Midwest remain under flood watch, where even slight precipitation could compound the existing flood devastation.
Toddler hospitalized after falling into flooded basement in Indiana
The Rush County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana responded around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a 2-year-old drowning in the basement of a home.
When emergency personnel responded, they found a home surround by deep water and were helped by farmer with a tractor to get to the home. They got the child and other family members to safety.
The toddler was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis for treatment, but there was not update on their condition as of Friday afternoon.
“This is a tragic situation. Our thoughts are with the child and the family,” Detective Randy M. Meek said in a statement as the child recovers. “We also appreciate the quick response from emergency personnel and the local farmer who helped reach the residence during the flooding.”
Flooding pours into Indiana homes and businesses
Photos and videos out of Indiana show scenes of destruction as floodwater rushed into homes and businesses.
Timothy Hicks, a father of six, told the Associated Press it was “a panic to get out of here” when floodwater began pouring into their Cambridge City, Indiana, house on Wednesday.
“I just started grabbing them, running them out to the car without even getting shoes, clothes or anything like that,” he said. Video of the home shows ruined bedrooms, a damaged bike and flooded yard. “It just crushes me. My kids’ house is gone,” Hicks added.
Security camera photos show the devastation caused by flooding in Metamora, Indiana, where numerous businesses were damaged Wednesday.
Bill Smith, owner of Village Smith and Village Smith Coffee Bar, told CNN many residents are facing significant losses.
“We won’t know until we see how much more flooding may occur with the incoming rain,” Smith said. “There’s not much we can say about the degree of loss until we can access our buildings.”
Disaster emergencies declared
Yorktown, in Indiana’s Delaware County, declared a local disaster emergency Thursday afternoon, with first responders working around the clock to assist with evacuations. Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater.
In the town of Muncie, water is deep enough in the streets that rescuers are using motorized boats and essential infrastructure is failing. “I’ve been with the department for 29 years, and I’ve never seen flooding like this,” the city’s Fire Chief Dan Burford told CNN Thursday.
Authorities in Delaware County are also continuing to search for 18-year-old Matthew Morey, who went missing after he and three others reportedly jumped from a bridge into the Mississinewa River Wednesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.
Crews had to pause search efforts Thursday afternoon due to rising water levels. They were still checking river banks and using thermal drones Friday morning, Sheriff Tony Skinner told CNN, but operations in the water remain suspended due to the dangerous conditions. “We will do everything we can short of putting others at risk until the river goes down several more feet,” Skinner said.
In nearby Anderson in Madison County, Indiana, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swollen White River and other waterways.
Fire departments in Anderson’s Madison County “have been busy all day” with evacuations and “some water rescues,” and more than 300 animals are being evacuated from a flooded animal shelter, Sheriff John Beeman told CNN Thursday night.
Renewed flood danger Friday
Iowa and northwestern Illinois face the greatest risk of flooding rain Friday – a Level 3 of 4 – but more storms are targeting communities in Indiana and Ohio already soaked this week.
Storms stretched from the Plains to Indiana late Friday morning and were slowly sinking south and starting to ease up. Another round of storms will likely move through the same area Friday night through early Saturday.
Exactly where the heaviest rain lands remains uncertain, but forecast models suggests more than 5 inches could fall in the hardest-hit areas, with isolated totals topping 8 inches through Saturday.
A broader Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain is in place through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. Rainfall totals may be lower there, but intense downpours could quickly renew flooding in waterlogged communities.
The flood threat should ease somewhat Saturday but won’t disappear.
The main corridor for heavy rain will shift north and east. A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain is in place, but another risk level upgrade is possible depending on which areas are hardest hit Friday.
Report from CNN’s Dalia Faheid, Sarah Dewberry, Meteorologists Briana Waxman, Mary Gilbert.
ABC7 Chicago and ABC News contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
