Powerful storms slam the Midwest for a sixth-straight day, striking already flood-ravaged Indiana and Ohio
CNN
By Dalia Faheid, Sarah Dewberry and Meteorologist Briana Waxman
(CNN) — Drenching storms rolled over the flood-ravaged Midwest for a sixth day early Friday, bringing more rain to areas where severe flooding has already forced hundreds of people from their homes and left more than 300,000 without power.
After parts of Indiana saw 1-in-1,000 year rainfall, officials conducted water rescues and ordered evacuations as catastrophic floodwaters made rivers swell, rushed into homes and left roads impassable. Gov. Mike Braun on Thursday declared a statewide disaster emergency and mobilized the Indiana National Guard.
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Millions across the Midwest remain under flood watches early Friday for additional bouts of rain sweeping through the region. Saturated ground and swollen rivers will make it easier for even modest rainfall to cause new problems.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday night warned residents in western Ohio to stay alert for “a dangerous situation” that could develop overnight after lingering storms this week forced about 375 people to evacuate.
The catastrophic flooding comes after a deadly derecho — a rare, unusually long-lasting windstorm — tore through the Midwest earlier this week. The region will finally get a reprieve from the storms by Sunday.
Here’s the latest:
- Authorities search for missing teen: In Delaware County, Indiana, authorities have been searching for an 18-year-old still missing after jumping into a river Wednesday night, the sheriff’s office told CNN.
- At least two dead: A 4-year-old boy died in southeastern Indiana on Tuesday after a tree fell on a house in Geneva Township, according to Cody Low, chief deputy for the Jennings County sheriff’s department. Another person was found dead Tuesday in Portage, Indiana, from an apparent explosion and house fire after the derecho moved through the area.
- Water rescues still underway: Authorities have been rescuing residents from high waters in several areas in Indiana, including Delaware, Madison, Wayne and Henry counties.
- Residents evacuate as rivers rise: At least two rivers have hit major flood stage in eastern Indiana. The White River in Anderson had a record crest over 24 feet Thursday night — the highest in more than 100 years. A level that high would likely bring
- Thousands lose power: More than 200,000 homes and businesses are without power in Indiana as of early Friday, according to PowerOutage.us. Over 300,000 customers remain in the dark across the Midwest and Ohio Valley for the third consecutive day. A utility serving northern Indiana experienced its most widespread outage ever due to this week’s storms and estimates power won’t be fully restored for more than a week.
- Kentucky flash flood emergency: The National Weather Service issued the highest level of flood warning Thursday evening for Knott County in eastern Kentucky, warning residents to immediately move to higher ground. Several water rescues were conducted in the northern part of the county late Thursday.
Flooding pours into Indiana homes and businesses
Photos and videos out of Indiana show scenes of destruction as floodwaters rushed into homes and businesses, leaving them in shambles.
Timothy Hicks, a father of six, told the Associated Press it was “a panic to get out of here” when floodwaters 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 after severe weather hit on Wednesday.
Bill Smith, owner of Village Smith and Village Smith Coffee Bar, told CNN that many residents are facing significant losses.
Photos show floodwaters covering tables, chairs, and floors inside several businesses on Thursday.
“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.”
Smith added that they will get through this because Metamora is “a good and strong community.”
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 floodwaters.
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.
Sheriff’s deputies in Delaware County said they were still searching for missing 18-year-old Matthew Morey after responding to a report that four teens had jumped from a bridge into the Mississinewa River at around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities had to temporarily pause the search due to the conditions, officials said.
In nearby Anderson in Madison County, Indiana, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swelling 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, with more storms targeting communities already soaked this week. A Level 3 of 4 risk is in place, and significant flash flooding is possible.
Storms will sweep from west to east Friday morning, with another, potentially more widespread round expected Friday night. Some already waterlogged communities could be hit repeatedly, causing rainfall to accumulate quickly.
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. With the ground already saturated, it won’t take as much rain to cause flooding as it did earlier in the week.
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, including parts of Indiana still recovering from catastrophic flooding.
The flood threat should ease somewhat Saturday but won’t disappear. The main corridor for heavy rain will shift north and east, prompting a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding from northern Illinois and Wisconsin through northern Indiana and Ohio and into parts of the central Appalachians. Another risk level upgrade is possible depending on which areas are hardest hit Friday.
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CNN’s Matthew Rehbein and Kate S. Petersen contributed to this report.
