At least five people have died after severe flooding struck Indiana this week, with emergency crews still conducting boat rescues along the White River in Indianapolis on Saturday as water levels continued to climb throughout the day. The floods, triggered by more than 11 inches of rain over two days, have left over 150,000 residents without power and prompted President Donald Trump to plan approval of a federal aid request, according to Governor Mike Braun.
Rescue Efforts and Rising Waters
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett joined state officials at a news conference to urge residents in flood-prone areas to comply with any evacuation orders. Jerry Martin, deputy chief of the Indianapolis Fire Department, warned that even shallow water posed a serious risk: "Six inches of water can stall out any vehicle. Eight inches of water can move a vehicle off a road. And then three inches of water can actually take somebody off their feet too. Flooded water is very, very dangerous."
Todd Wilson, director of the city's public works department, added that conditions were not expected to improve quickly. "The water is still rising. And it will be rising all day long," he said at the same briefing, as reported by The Guardian.
Deaths Confirmed Across Multiple Counties
In Delaware County, sheriff's deputies on Friday recovered the body of a 58-year-old woman believed to have drowned after attempting to drive through floodwaters. They also found the remains of a teenager who had been reported missing since Wednesday after jumping into a river. Earlier in the week, a four-year-old boy died in Jennings County when a tree collapsed onto his home.
Flash flood warnings were issued for north-eastern Hendricks County and northern Marion County in central Indiana. The National Weather Service recorded more than 11 inches (28 centimetres) of rain in some parts of the state over a two-day period. The White River crested above 24 feet (7.32 metres) in Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing flood records that had stood since 1913. Authorities described the scale of the disaster as something not seen in about 30 years, with flooding reported in areas that have no history of such events.
Evacuations, Rescues, and Federal Aid
Around 400 residents left parts of northern Indianapolis on their own, while more than 350 evacuations were carried out in Delaware County. A senior mobile home community in Tipton County was also being evacuated, and welfare checks were under way in Fayette County. Rita Reith, a spokesperson with the Indianapolis Fire Department, said 95 people and 45 pets had been rescued by late afternoon on Saturday, with dispatchers handling hundreds of calls throughout the day.
Indiana's Republican Governor Mike Braun confirmed on Saturday that President Donald Trump planned to approve a federal aid request to support flood response and recovery efforts. As of Saturday afternoon, more than 150,000 residents across the state were without power, according to the northern Indiana public service company.
Regional Context and Ongoing Impact
The flooding in Indiana follows a similar disaster in Japan, where at least six people died and five more were injured in Chiba prefecture after rainfall authorities described as "unprecedented" battered the region east of Tokyo in August 2025, as previously reported by Legit.ng. In Indiana, the immediate focus remains on rescue operations and restoring power, with floodwaters expected to continue rising throughout the day, and residents urged to heed evacuation orders and avoid floodwaters.
