Indiana storms, flooding leave at least 6 dead as waters peak in Indianapolis
Aerial view of flooding after another round of heavy rain in central Indiana on August 15, 2026 in Noblesville, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Days of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least six people dead as floodwaters peaked along Indianapolis’ White River. Rain was expected to ease Sunday in the state capital region and elsewhere across the state.
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A 4-year-old boy, two men and three women were among those who had died since the storms began Aug. 11, said Liz Woods, a spokesperson for the state Department of Homeland Security.
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Officials in Jennings County, in the southern end of the state, said the boy was killed Tuesday when a tree crashed through his bedroom during strong winds.
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"This is obviously unexpected," Jennings County Deputy Chief Cody Low told the local ABC affiliate. "There’s nothing we can say that is going to make it any better. We’re going to push through this as a community."
The other victims included a 19-year-old man whose body was recovered Saturday. Officials in Delaware County, located east of Indianapolis, said Matthew Morey had jumped off a bridge into the rushing waters of the Mississinewa River with friends three days earlier.
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Family and friends gathered earlier in the week at the bridge to remember the recent high school graduate, who was headed to Purdue University, and warn of the dangers of swollen rivers.
Delaware County officials also said they recovered the body of Stephanie Sallee and her dog in a cornfield on Saturday, not far from her car. They believe the 58-year-old had been driving on a flooded road when the vehicle was swept away. In a statement shared with local news outlets, her family remembered her as a compassionate and loving person who adored her grandchildren and other young relatives.
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In Indianapolis, flooding from the White River peaked early Sunday morning, with high water levels expected to hold for a few hours before beginning to recede, according to the city Department of Public Works.
The agency said it would reopen the city’s floodgates Sunday and that emergency shelters remained open after hundreds of homes along the river and its canals were evacuated. First responders used boats to rescue people stranded by rapidly rising floodwaters.
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Heavy rains hammered Indiana over the past week, causing rivers to crest and setting new records.
The White River crested at more than 24 feet (7.32 meters) in the communities of Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing records set in 1913.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the flooding was the worst the capital city has seen in more than 30 years.
Gov. Mike Braun’s office said more than 350 evacuations and scores of rescue and welfare checks have occurred elsewhere in the state, including at a senior mobile home community north of Indianapolis.
President Donald Trump on Saturday approved Braun’s request for federal disaster assistance to help with flooding response and recovery efforts.
The drenching rains and destructive flooding were among the impacts of severe storms that have wreaked havoc across the Midwest and beyond in recent days.
Tornadoes, heavy rains and flash flooding brought serious damage to communities from Illinois to western Pennsylvania.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information came largely from Indiana state and local officials, including the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, officials in Jennings and Delaware counties, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Gov. Mike Braun’s office. This story was reported from Los Angeles.