At least six people have died following days of storms and historic flooding across Indiana, state officials confirmed Saturday. The death toll has climbed steadily since the storm system began hitting the state on August 11.
Among those killed was a four-year-old boy in Jennings County in southeastern Indiana, who died Tuesday when a tree fell on his home during a severe weather outbreak. In Delaware County, authorities found the body of a 58-year-old woman believed to have died after driving through floodwaters, and the body of 18-year-old Matthew Morey, an incoming Purdue University freshman who had gone missing after entering the Mississinewa River with three others on Wednesday.
"There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child. Our hearts are with Matthew's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him," the Delaware County Sheriff's Office said in a statement to CBS News.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett described the scope of the crisis at a Saturday press conference. "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 conducted 50 water rescues over several hours, helping evacuate 91 residents and 45 pets.
In Noblesville, just north of Indianapolis, the White River broke a record that had stood for more than a century. "The last 48 hours have been unprecedented in this community," Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen said in a video posted to social media. "As you know, last night we broke the 113-year-old record from 1913."
Jacob Spence, director of Marion County Emergency Management, described the event to the Associated Press. "This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime type floods," he said. "So yeah, this is an unprecedented event and unfortunately we're setting some new records."
Indiana DHS Executive Director Jonathan Whitham told reporters that at least 150,000 customers remained without power statewide. He said flooding was expected to persist. "As far as the flooding, again, that's an ongoing issue. That's going to continue for the next 24 hours at least, and then we'll start that recovery process next," Whitham said.
Governor Mike Braun declared a state of emergency earlier in the week and said Saturday that President Trump approved his request for a presidential emergency declaration, freeing up to $5 million in federal resources for response and recovery. "My heart is with the families and loved ones of the five Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms," Braun said in a statement Saturday. "Please continue to take flooding seriously and stay away from floodwaters."
A flash flood threat stretched Saturday afternoon from eastern Iowa to West Virginia, with flood watches remaining in effect for Indianapolis, Columbus, Ohio, and Charleston, West Virginia.