The Midwest is under siege from relentless storms and severe flooding, marking a sixth consecutive day of extreme weather. Communities across the region are grappling with the aftermath of unprecedented rainfall, with hundreds of residents forced from their homes. The situation is particularly dire in Indiana, where a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event has caused rivers to burst their banks and floodwaters to rush into homes and leave roads impassable.
Gov. Mike Braun has requested a presidential emergency declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), following a statewide disaster emergency declaration and the mobilization of the Indiana National Guard. Millions across the Midwest remain under flood watches, with even modest rainfall posing significant risks due to already saturated ground conditions.
Ongoing Storms and Flash Flood Emergencies
Soaking morning storms brought flash flooding from Iowa to Illinois, with most storms losing their intensity by early Friday afternoon. However, the rain threat is far from over. A new round of storms is expected to begin in Iowa by Friday evening and spread east overnight. Authorities are on high alert, particularly in areas already saturated by rain, where even small amounts of additional rainfall could cause new problems.
A flash flood emergency—the highest level of flood warning—was issued for Knott County in eastern Kentucky on Thursday evening. Several water rescues were conducted in the northern part of the county late Thursday. In Ohio, some 375 people were forced to evacuate because of flooding. The situation is critical, with authorities conducting search and rescue operations and evacuating residents from high water in several areas in Indiana, including Delaware, Madison, Wayne, and Henry counties.
Tragic Incidents and Rescue Efforts
In Delaware County, Indiana, authorities are searching for an 18-year-old missing after jumping into a river Wednesday night. Boat-based search operations have been suspended due to dangerous conditions. Tragically, a 58-year-old woman was found dead near her car on a flooded road in Yorktown, Indiana, on Friday. Authorities believe she tried to drive through several feet of water when her vehicle was swept away. Two other people were killed in Indiana earlier this week during a powerful derecho.
Water rescues and evacuations have become a common sight in the region. The White River in Anderson, Indiana, hit a record high of nearly 25 feet Friday morning—the highest in more than 100 years. Flooding along the Whitewater River forced evacuations, including in Dearborn County, Indiana. Water levels dropped below flood stage along the river Friday morning, providing some relief but not eliminating the ongoing threat.
Power Outages and Infrastructure Damage
The relentless storms have left thousands across the Midwest without power since Tuesday. More than 300,000 customers were still without power early Friday across parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Many of the lingering outages stem from Tuesday’s deadly derecho, which knocked out power to more than one million customers at the height of the windstorm. The derecho, characterized by intense winds stretching at least 250 miles long and 60 miles wide, caused widespread damage, including downed trees and power lines, damaged homes, and left hundreds of thousands without power.
The strongest wind reports were concentrated across northeastern Illinois and the Chicago area, with several gusts approaching 100 mph. The derecho’s impact was felt across Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with each state experiencing over 300,000 customers without power at its peak. Kentucky was also significantly impacted, with over 100,000 customers losing power. The destructive winds triggered Tornado Warnings across several areas, including Aurora, Joliet, Naperville, and downtown Chicago.
The Midwest continues to face a level 3 out of 4 flash flood threat, marking the fifth straight day of such a high-risk warning. Flood watches are in place across portions of the region through Sunday, with Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, facing the highest threat. While most areas will see one to two inches of rain through Sunday, localized spots could get more than three inches. The saturated soil from a week of heavy rain means even a small amount of new rainfall could trigger immediate flash flooding.
