Indiana Governor Mike Braun has declared a state of emergency as severe storms and historic flooding have resulted in at least seven deaths and widespread damage across the state. The storms, which began on August 11, have caused significant destruction, prompted hundreds of evacuations, and led to mass power outages.

The Indiana State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) confirmed the fatalities, which occurred in multiple counties. Victims include a 19-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman in Delaware County, a 4-year-old boy in Jennings County, two women in Lake and Porter counties, a man in LaPorte County, and a 31-year-old man in New Castle.

In Henry County, a 31-year-old man died after riding a bicycle past flood barricades and falling into a collapsed section of road, according to Carmel City Council member Adam Aasen. "He died," Aasen stated.

The severe weather outbreak began with a destructive derecho that brought winds of 90 to 100 mph across northern Indiana. This was followed by torrential rainfall, with some areas in central Indiana receiving more than 11 inches of rain over two days. The National Weather Service reported flash flood emergencies were issued across east-central Indiana due to the life-threatening conditions.

Record flooding has impacted numerous communities. The White River surged, cresting near 25 feet in Anderson and Noblesville, surpassing the previous record of 23.6 feet set in March 1913. In Muncie, rising waters forced hundreds of evacuations, particularly along the riverbanks in Delaware County.

Hundreds of structures have been impacted by the flooding, primarily in Hamilton County. Authorities are focused on assessment, recovery, and reconstruction efforts. A bridge south of 106th on Hazel Dell has been declared a total loss due to rising floodwaters and will require costly, months-long reconstruction under county jurisdiction. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works issued warnings about potential imminent structural failures at multiple buildings due to erosion from severe road washouts.

Evacuations were underway in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Indianapolis on August 15, 2026, as floodwaters rose. Recovery efforts are ongoing as communities assess and clean up the extensive damage.