The White River shattered a record that had stood since the Great Flood of 1913, cresting overnight at 23.96 feet at the Noblesville gauge, county officials announced Saturday morning. The previous record of 23.8 feet was set March 25, 1913.
The river has begun to slowly recede, but Hamilton County remains under a State of Emergency declared by the Board of Commissioners, and officials warn the danger is far from over. A new round of thunderstorms Saturday morning prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Warning for Hamilton and Tipton counties until 12:30 p.m., with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible. A Flood Warning for the White River remains in effect through Sunday afternoon.
“The river may have crested, but this is not over,” said Chad Knecht, Executive Director of Hamilton County Emergency Operations. “It will take much longer for this water to go down than it did for it to come up, and the additional rain today isn’t helping. If you can stay home and away from floodwaters, please do. Give our crews room to work and don’t put yourself or our first responders at unnecessary risk.”
Fishers evacuations and closures
In Fishers, police and fire crews worked Saturday morning to evacuate residents on Wapahani Drive, and 116th Street is closed near Eller Road. Officials asked residents to keep their distance from the river and never drive around barricades or cones.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools closed the Riverside Intermediate and Riverside Junior High campuses Saturday, including all indoor and outdoor facilities. The Fishers Farmers’ Market was canceled because of the weather.
A historic flood, by the numbers
The record crest at Noblesville followed days of extraordinary rainfall across central and eastern Indiana. More than 11 inches of rain has fallen east of Indianapolis since Tuesday, according to CBS News, and AccuWeather reported that New Castle recorded 11.23 inches in roughly 31 hours — with at least one location receiving what forecasters called a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall.
Upstream, the White River at Anderson crested at 24.93 feet early Friday, breaking that gauge’s 1913 record of 23.60 feet — water that then moved downstream toward Hamilton County. Gov. Mike Braun declared a state of emergency Thursday and activated the Indiana National Guard.
In Hamilton County, the Sheriff’s Office had assisted more than 160 families with voluntary evacuations by Friday, according to WISH-TV, with homes submerged in the Riverwood community north of Noblesville. More than 60 roads have been closed across the county, including State Road 37 north of State Road 32 and State Road 19 in Noblesville. Emergency crews continued responding to water rescues Saturday morning. No flood-related deaths have been reported in Indiana as of Saturday.
County officials continue to urge residents to store potable water through the weekend as a precaution. Free sandbags remain available to county residents on a first-come basis at the 4-H Fairgrounds, 1717 Pleasant St., Noblesville.
The flooding reaches downstream as well: Indianapolis officials ordered evacuations Friday night in Rocky Ripple, Ravenswood and portions of Broad Ripple as the river pushed toward levee heights not tested since 1937.
A 155-year-old survivor
Amid the emergency, county officials shared one piece of good news Saturday morning: Potter’s Covered Bridge, the 260-foot Howe truss span built over the White River in 1871 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, made it through the night. “Our bridge is a testament to a community that is facing hardship and unprecedented events,” the county’s parks department said. “Stay strong Hamilton County and all communities along our White River watershed.”
How to stay informed
The county’s flooding road-closure page is updated as conditions change: hamiltoncounty.in.gov/2153/Active-Road-Closures-Due-to-Current-Floo
Call 911 for emergencies, including anyone trapped in or by floodwater. For non-emergency matters, call 317-773-1282.