TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least five people have died after severe flooding swept across parts of Indiana in the United States, with heavy rain continuing to raise water levels and trigger evacuations and emergency rescues.
First responders used boats to rescue residents from flooded neighborhoods along the White River in Indianapolis on Saturday, as officials warned that water levels were still rising.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and other state officials urged residents in flood-prone areas to follow evacuation warnings and avoid entering flooded roads.
“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,” Indianapolis Fire Department Deputy Chief Jerry Martin said at a news conference, as cited by The Guardian.
Todd Wilson, director of the city’s public works department, warned that the situation could worsen.
“The water is still rising. And it will be rising all day long,” Wilson said.
Five Deaths Reported
In Delaware County, sheriff’s deputies recovered the body of a 58-year-old woman on Friday. Authorities believe she died after attempting to drive through floodwaters.
Deputies also recovered the body of a teenager who had been reported missing Wednesday after jumping into a river.
Earlier in the week, a four-year-old boy was killed after a tree fell onto his home in Jennings County.
Flash flood warnings were issued for northeastern Hendricks County and northern Marion County in central Indiana.
Authorities described the flooding as unprecedented in some areas and unlike conditions seen there in roughly three decades.
Rainfall Breaks Records
According to The Guardian, the US National Weather Service said some areas received more than 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain over a two-day period.
The White River rose above 24 feet (7.3 meters) in Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing records set in 1913.
The scale of the flooding has stretched emergency response capacity, with authorities reporting inundation in areas that have not historically been affected by flooding.
About 400 people evacuated parts of northern Indianapolis on their own, while the governor’s office reported more than 350 evacuations in Delaware County.
A senior mobile home community in Tipton County was also evacuated, while emergency crews carried out rescues and welfare checks in Fayette County.
Indianapolis Fire Department spokesperson Rita Reith said 95 people and 45 pets had been rescued by late Saturday afternoon. Dispatchers received hundreds of calls for assistance throughout the day.
Indiana Seeks Federal Assistance
Indiana Governor Mike Braun said Saturday that President Donald Trump intended to approve his request for federal resources to assist with the flood response and recovery, as reported by CBS News.
More than 150,000 customers in northern Indiana were without power as of Saturday afternoon, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Company.
Authorities continued to urge residents to stay away from floodwaters, as rain persisted and rivers remained dangerously high.
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