White River Flooding Breaks the 1913 Record Across Central Indiana; At Least 7 Dead, Hundreds Evacuated

Days of storms and flooding across Indiana have forced hundreds of evacuations in central Indiana and pushed the White River to its highest level in more than a century, and have killed at least seven people statewide, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security confirmed Sunday, Aug. 16, after adding a Henry County bicyclist to the state’s tally that afternoon. The river’s gauge at Anderson, in Madison County, crested at just under 25 feet early Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 — a level meteorologists say broke the river’s 1913 flood record there by more than a foot. As of Sunday, Aug. 16, the water was receding in some places but the danger had not passed everywhere, and the crest was still moving downstream.

Key facts

At least 7 dead statewide, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security confirmed Sunday, Aug. 16 — two in Delaware County and one each in Jennings, Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Henry counties.
James Briar, 31, a Henry County bicyclist who police believe rode around a road barricade and fell into a sinkhole, was confirmed as the seventh victim by the county coroner and included in the state’s own Sunday-afternoon count.
The White River at Anderson crested at just under 25 feet on Aug. 14, breaking the river’s 1913 flood record there by more than a foot.
Gov. Mike Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Aug. 13; the White House approved a federal emergency declaration Aug. 15, releasing up to $5 million in federal funding.
The Indianapolis Fire Department carried out 51 water rescues, saving 95 people and 45 pets, as of 5 p.m. Saturday.
Gov. Braun’s office said outages peaked above 300,000 customers statewide at the height of the storms; CBS News reported roughly 130,000 customers were still without power as of Sunday. The figures are snapshots from different moments, and no single official statewide count has been confirmed.

Where to find help

Hamilton County: Red Cross evacuation center at the county’s 4-H Fairgrounds, Expo Hall A, 2003 Pleasant St., Noblesville.
Indianapolis: Red Cross shelters at the Washington Township Schools Services Center, 8401 Westfield Blvd. (for residents without pets), and the Noble Shelter, 2406 N. Tibbs Ave. (for residents with pets). Text INDYFLOOD26 to 67283 for evacuation assistance.
Delaware County: Grace Baptist Church, 6401 W. River Rd., Muncie, is a long-term shelter; officials have urged anyone told to evacuate to leave immediately.
Madison County: Local flood-resource information names a Salvation Army location in Anderson as a shelter for displaced residents.

The death toll, still being confirmed

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security put the statewide death toll at “at least seven” as of Sunday — two deaths in Delaware County and one each in Jennings, Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Henry counties. Names, and details of how the Lake, Porter and LaPorte deaths happened, have not appeared in the available reporting. Gov. Mike Braun, in a statement Saturday — a day before the state’s Sunday count — spoke of “the five Hoosiers we have lost.”

Two of the confirmed deaths were in Delaware County. Matthew Morey, 19, was swept away in the Mississinewa River on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after entering the water with three companions who reached safety; the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office recovered his body Saturday. State officials identified the county’s other victim as Stephanie Sallee, 58, who was swept off a road in her vehicle and found dead in a cornfield Friday, Aug. 14, not far from her car. In Jennings County, a 4-year-old boy died when thunderstorm winds toppled a tree onto his family’s home in Geneva Township on Tuesday, Aug. 11; three others in the home escaped safely. His name has not been released.

The death count has been revised several times and differs by source, in part because different officials’ tallies were taken at different moments. Henry County Coroner Brian Clark identified the seventh storm-related death: James Briar, 31, found early Sunday morning after apparently riding his bicycle around a road barricade and falling into a sinkhole. The state, IndyStar and CBS News all put the statewide toll at at least seven by Sunday afternoon, counting the Henry County case.

What caused the flooding

The flooding followed an Aug. 11 derecho — a fast-moving line of thunderstorms that spreads damaging straight-line winds along a long path — which brought wind gusts up to 99 mph to Gary, Indiana, with gusts reported above 90 mph in the Chicago area and above 80 mph in Columbus, Ohio. Storms over the following two days then dropped more than 11 inches of rain in parts of central Indiana east of Indianapolis. The National Weather Service’s Indianapolis office recorded the heaviest two-day total, 11.50 inches, northeast of New Lisbon in Henry County. Forecasters said a stalled weather front, blocked by high pressure anchored to the south, kept drawing humid air into the same area for days, producing repeated rounds of heavy rain over ground that was already saturated.

The river’s record crest, and what’s still ahead

The White River at Anderson has been receding since its Aug. 14 crest just under 25 feet, and the gauge at Noblesville, in Hamilton County, saw a comparably record-breaking crest, both surpassing the prior 1913 benchmark on those stretches of the river. In Marion County, a gauge near 82nd Street had dropped about three feet from its own crest by Sunday. But officials cautioned the danger has not passed everywhere: the crest was still moving downstream toward Morgan County, and further downriver, communities beyond Morgan County were also being told to prepare to leave, though no specific crest level or timing was available for those areas. Flood warnings remained active at several other gauges into the coming days.

“This is an unprecedented event, and unfortunately we’re setting some new records,” said Jacob Spence, Marion County’s emergency management director.

Timeline

Aug. 11: A derecho brings wind gusts up to 99 mph to Gary and a squall line begins dropping heavy rain; a 4-year-old boy dies in Jennings County when winds topple a tree onto his family’s home.
Aug. 12: Matthew Morey, 19, is swept away in the Mississinewa River in Delaware County.
Aug. 13: Gov. Mike Braun declares a statewide disaster emergency and mobilizes the Indiana National Guard.
Aug. 14: The White River at Anderson crests at just under 25 feet, breaking the 1913 record; Indianapolis declares a local disaster emergency, Noblesville Schools close, and Stephanie Sallee is found dead in a Delaware County cornfield.
Aug. 15: The White House approves a federal emergency declaration for Indiana.
Aug. 16: The state’s death toll rises to “at least seven” as officials confirm Henry County’s James Briar as the seventh victim.

State and federal response

Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Thursday, Aug. 13, mobilizing the Indiana National Guard. Among the counties named in the reporting since then are Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Henry, Dearborn, Franklin, Newton, Pike, Pulaski and Wayne; no single, current list of the counties covered is available. Guard soldiers assisted with evacuations and water rescues in Anderson and, separately, mobilized boats and personnel in Gary, Munster and Hobart in northwest Indiana.

On Aug. 15, the White House approved Braun’s request for a federal emergency declaration, making up to $5 million in federal funding available to help cover the cost of the government response, such as water rescues and power restoration. That is a smaller, faster process than a full FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Major Disaster Declaration, which would unlock direct aid to individual households — as of the latest available reporting, neither a filing nor an approval of that broader declaration had been confirmed, and coverage said the state was expected to apply within days.

Evacuations and rescues

In Indianapolis, Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city was dealing with flooding not seen in more than 30 years and declared a local disaster emergency Friday, Aug. 14. The city ordered evacuations in the Ravenswood and Rocky Ripple neighborhoods along the White River, and the Indianapolis Fire Department said it had carried out 51 water rescues, saving 95 people and 45 pets, as of 5 p.m. Saturday. City officials separately warned that an apartment building near the river, River Road Apartments, faced a risk of structural failure and ordered residents out.

Upriver in Anderson, the mayor ordered a mandatory evacuation Thursday evening for flooded neighborhoods on the city’s north side, including along Alexandria Pike near Anderson University. In Hamilton County, Noblesville Schools closed Friday, Aug. 14. More than 60 roads in the county were closed at one point, with more than 30 still closed as water began to recede Saturday. Evacuation counts have so far been reported only county by county, with no statewide total announced: Delaware County reported more than 350 evacuations, roughly 400 people self-evacuated from Indianapolis’s Ravenswood neighborhood, and about 40 more left homes in Carmel, in Hamilton County.

Power outages and damage

Gov. Braun’s office said outages peaked above 300,000 customers statewide at the height of the storms, and CBS News reported roughly 130,000 customers were still without power as of Sunday — two snapshots taken at different moments. In Hamilton County, floodwater partially collapsed a stretch of Hazel Dell Parkway.