Indiana Flood Death Toll Hits Six as White River Sets Records, More Rain Falls Sunday

Since Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett declared a local disaster emergency Friday, the confirmed death toll from Indiana's flooding has grown to six, with rescues still underway Sunday and more rain in the forecast.

The National Weather Service says more than 11 inches of rain fell over a two-day span in parts of central Indiana, pushing the White River to more than 24 feet in Anderson and Noblesville. That broke a record that had stood since 1913, according to NBC News and the Daily Mail.

Where the deaths happened

Indiana Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Liz Woods confirmed storm-related deaths in Jennings, White, Porter and La Porte counties, on top of fatalities already reported in Delaware and Marion counties, NBC News reported. Among the dead: a 4-year-old boy killed when a tree fell on his home, a 58-year-old woman swept away after driving into floodwater in Delaware County, and a 19-year-old man found dead after jumping into a river Wednesday, according to the Daily Mail and Breitbart.

Governor Mike Braun, in a statement carried by NBC News, said "my heart is with the families and loved ones of the five Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms." Braun's count reflected an earlier tally before officials confirmed a sixth death.

Federal help is moving

President Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Indiana, according to FEMA, making federal disaster assistance available to the state. Breitbart and the Daily Mail both note Trump acted quickly once Braun made the request. CNN reported Braun said Saturday afternoon that Trump told him directly he intended to approve the declaration.

The scale of the rescue effort

More than 90 people and 45 pets have been rescued as floodwaters rose along the White River in Indianapolis, according to NBC News, with the Indianapolis Fire Department cited by multiple outlets giving similar figures for rescues carried out through Saturday. More than 350 evacuations happened in Delaware County alone, including residents of a senior mobile home community in Tipton County, the governor's office said.

In Muncie, Fire Chief Dan Burford told CNN, "I've been with the department for 29 years, and I've never seen flooding like this." Rescue crews there are using motorized boats to navigate streets where essential infrastructure is failing.

Jacob Spence, director of Marion County Emergency Management, called the event "once-in-a-lifetime" and told the Associated Press, "This is an unprecedented event, and unfortunately we're setting some new records."

Chemical warnings in floodwater

CNN reported that Delaware County's emergency management office received reports Thursday night of "noxious, chemical, and foul fumes" coming from floodwater, and warned residents to watch for nausea, dizziness and headaches. Flooding in industrial and agricultural areas can stir up chemical runoff, creating potential public health risks.

Still raining Sunday

CNN reported Sunday that more than 8 million people across the Midwest remain under flood watches, with additional storms rolling through. Ground already saturated from a week of rain means even modest additional rainfall could cause new flooding.

Hogsett said Indianapolis is dealing with its most severe flooding in more than 30 years, and floodwaters have been moving downstream into the city from areas upstream that saw between 6 and nearly 12 inches of rain, according to Braun's statement carried by NBC News.

What's unresolved

The full property damage estimate hasn't been released yet, and it's unclear how many people remain unaccounted for beyond the six confirmed deaths. Breitbart and the Daily Mail both cited reports of people still missing as of Saturday, but no source has published an official missing-persons count from state authorities.

FEMA's emergency declaration unlocks federal assistance, but the scope of that aid, individual assistance versus public infrastructure funding, hasn't been detailed publicly yet. That determination typically follows a damage assessment, which Indiana officials have not yet completed given that some areas were still underwater as of Sunday.