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As she waded through the muddy floodwaters that had surrounded her Hamilton County home, Teresa Hadley considered where she would evacuate to.
Hadley, her fiancé and the couple’s cats had to leave their home on the afternoon of Aug. 14. She lives off Tippecanoe Drive in the Riverwood community just north of Noblesville, but as the nearby White River swelled and flood waters in the area are expected to continue rising, Hadley left to stay at a hotel or with family.
“It just happened so fast,” Hadley said. “It’s been chaotic. Thank God we have flood insurance, but there’s a lot of neighbors that don’t.”
A swath of Central Indiana remains under threat of flooding with more rain in the forecast over the weekend. Creeks and streams are already busting out of their banks after days of rain that started Aug. 11.
The Indianapolis metro area remains under flood caution until at least early Saturday. Flash flooding is a real concern, and residents are advised to avoid low water crossings. Some areas of the region have been impacted more than others.
In nearby Anderson, the White River crested to a record not witnessed since 1913. New Castle, a town northeast of Indianapolis, was hit particularly hard, with a bridge collapse and numerous water rescues.
In Noblesville, not far from Riverwood, the mayor has called the flooding “absolutely historic”, and, as of 5 p.m. on Aug. 14, Hamilton County remained under a state of emergency because more than 60 roads were closed due to severe flooding.
Several homes were already inundated in Hadley’s Riverwood neighborhood as she prepared to evacuate, leaving behind her Jeep that had already been lost to the rising waters.
Hadley is thankful for a neighbor who drilled through and removed a stuck, rusted-out gate from behind her home. That made it easier for her to navigate the evacuation as she gathered items from her house and loaded them into her daughter’s vehicle.
“Everyone helps each other around here,” Hadley said. “It’s like a little family community where everyone watches out for each other.”
As Hadley was evacuating, Hamilton County Emergency Management officials flew drones over the flooded neighborhood and went door-to-door to make sure residents knew the floodwaters were expected to keep rising. A rescue boat navigated the flooded streets, checking on residents in homes that had been hit the hardest. And in the afternoon, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office began assisting residents in Riverwood with voluntary evacuations, encouraging residents not to stay until conditions worsened.
“Hamilton County has not experienced flooding of this magnitude since 1913, and current projections could surpass that historic record,” a news release from the county reads.
The White River was at 22.85 feet, as of 5 p.m. on Aug. 14, and was expected to crest near 24 feet around 8 p.m. on Aug. 14, according to the county.
“We have a to-go bag packed, but it’s too late to get a moving truck out here or anything like that,” said Steve Avery, who lives off Hiawatha Drive in the Riverwood community.
Avery was contemplating when he would evacuate his home on the afternoon of Aug. 14 after hearing warnings from officials about the rising White River. Meanwhile other residents made plans to stay in their homes.
Angela Hoppe, whose family owns the Riverwood Trading Post, watched as the White River sped by, about 30 feet away from her home on Riverwood Drive. She’s hoping the floodwaters don’t rise any higher and has protected her house with sandbags.
“I think we’ll be OK,” Hoppe said. “I just hate it for my neighbors down the street [on Riverwood Drive]. They’ve lost everything.”
Residents in flood-prone areas should prepare and be ready to leave quickly if directed by emergency personnel, according to a news release from the Hamilton County government. Officials are also encouraging residents to store potable water in clean pots, jugs or bathtubs in case water systems become compromised by the flooding.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19. Click here to get Hamilton County news sent straight to your inbox and subscribe to the IndyStar North newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Homes destroyed, residents evacuate part of Hamilton County due to flooding
Reporting by Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
