Severe storms and flooding in Indiana leave at least five people dead

Indianapolis, Indiana - At least five people were killed by severe storms and flooding this week in Indiana, authorities said Saturday.

A photo distributed by the Indianapolis Fire Department shows a structure on fire amid flooding in northern Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 15, 2026.   © HANDOUT / INDIANAPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT / AFP

Dozens have been rescued from flooded areas and hundreds have had to evacuate their homes, The Indianapolis Star newspaper reported.

The storm began pummeling Indiana on Tuesday, Governor Mike Braun said in a statement. The weather system included "tornadic activity and a derecho," which is a widespread, long-lived wind storm.

The victims included a 58-year-old woman whose car was believed to have been swept away by floodwaters, an 18-year-old man who jumped into a swollen river with friends, and a four-year-old boy who died when a tree fell onto a home, local media reported.

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News footage showed a river that had overflowed its banks, with the brown water nearly reaching the bottom of a bridge. Rescuers zoomed by in a raft.

Braun posted on X that he spoke with President Donald Trump on Saturday "about the severe storms and historic flooding" to request federal aid.

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Indiana's Homeland Security Director Jonathan Whitham said a "very extensive cleanup and recovery operation" will be needed.