At least seven people have died following storms that swept through Indiana over the past several days, according to state officials.
Officials in hard-hit Hamilton County, Indiana, said on Sunday morning that the floodwaters were finally starting to recede from what was described as “historic flooding” in the county.
During torrential rains over the past few days, a big worry has been the cresting of the White River, which runs through Hamilton County.
On Saturday, the White River reached its highest level ever, breaking a record set in 1913, Hamilton County officials said.
“I must admit, it is a good morning. It’s not raining, and the water is receding. Hamilton County set records, unfortunately, with the level of cresting at 24.6 feet,” Christine Altman, president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, said at a news conference on Sunday morning.
Indianapolis Fire Department via AP – PHOTO: This aerial photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 15, 2026.
Michael Hubbs, director of the Administration for the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, said the water level in the White River had dropped to 21 feet as of Sunday morning, which he described as a “significant decrease.”
“The roads are becoming drier and clearer, but that does not mean that the hazard has stopped,” said Hubbs, adding that one of the bridges crossing the White River in Hamilton County was damaged in the storm.
At least 215 properties, including homes and businesses, in the Hamilton County town of Carmel were affected by the flooding, and 40 residents were forced to evacuate from their homes, Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam said at the news conference.
In nearby Noblesville, in Hamilton County, Mayor Chris Jensen said that over the past 72 hours, 170 residents of the town were evacuated, many with their pets.
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“We have a total of about 552 residential units that have been impacted by this historic flood here in our city,” Jensen said.
Hamilton County remained under a flood watch on Sunday, according to Hubbs.
The Indiana State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) confirmed a total of seven storm-related deaths since heavy rain and flooding began hitting the state Aug. 11.
Those killed include a 4-year-old boy, in Jennings County, Indiana, in the southeastern part of the state, who was killed when a tree toppled on his home in on Tuesday amid an outbreak of severe weather.
Indianapolis Fire Department via AP – PHOTO: This photo provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows flooding in northern Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 15, 2026.
In addition, a 19-year-old man and 58-year-old woman in Delaware County in eastern Indiana were among the dead, according to the department.
The SEOC said two people, an 86-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, died in Porter County. Also, a 58-year-old woman in Lake County and a 31-year-old man in Henry County perished in the storm.
Officials said dozens of water rescues were made by emergency crews during the storms.
On Thursday, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun declared a state of emergency, and said in a social media post on Saturday he had spoken to President Donald Trump about “the severe storms and historic flooding impacting Indiana” and that the president had agreed to provide federal assistance.
At one point on Saturday, at least 150,000 customers were without power in the state as a result of the severe weather, Indiana DHS Executive Director Jonathan Whitham said during the Saturday briefing.
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ABC News – PHOTO: Flash Flood Threat Map
Historic flooding around Indianapolis
At a news conference on Saturday, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city hasn’t seen similar flooding in decades.
“The city of Indianapolis is currently facing a flooding event that we have not seen in over 30 years,” he said. “This is, it is an ever-evolving situation, and conditions can and are changing quite rapidly.”
The Indianapolis Fire Department said it had conducted a total of 50 water rescues over several hours, helping evacuate 91 residents and 45 pets.
In Noblesville, north of Indianapolis, the White River broke a more than century-old record, according to Mayor Chris Jensen.
“The last 48 hours have been unprecedented in this community,” Jensen said in a video posted to social media. “As you know, last night we broke the 113-year-old record from 1913, which was originally 23.8 feet. We crested late last night, early this morning at 24.6 feet here.”
Latest forecast
The severe weather and flash-flood threats remained in parts of the Midwest on Sunday. A level 3 out of 4 threat for “moderate” flash flooding was centered over portions of West Virginia on Sunday, including Beckley, Elkins, Clarksburg and Morgantown.
Flood watches also remain in effect from Peoria, Illinois, to Indianapolis and east to Charleston, West Virginia, with additional rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms set to move through over the next 24 hours. Pittsburgh is also expected to receive additional rounds of rain on Sunday.
With the ground already saturated across the region, any additional rain could quickly bring more rounds of potentially life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding.