With the White River finally falling after cresting at a record 24.6 feet, county and city leaders gathered at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds on Sunday morning to declare the rescue phase over and the long recovery under way.
“It’s not raining, and the water is receding,” Commissioner Christine Altman said, opening the news conference. The crest topped the previous record of 23.8 feet, set in 1913 — a mark that had stood for 113 years. By Sunday morning the river had dropped to 21 feet and was continuing to fall.
No lives were lost, officials said repeatedly. Property was another matter.
The county’s most significant loss was the Hazel Dell Road bridge between 96th and 106th streets, where floodwaters scoured away the earth beneath the structure. Engineers are assessing whether it can be repaired or must be replaced entirely, Altman said. Roads across the county remain barricaded, and both a travel watch and a flood watch remain in effect.
In Carmel, Mayor Sue Finkam said roughly 230 properties were affected, 40 residents were relocated from their homes, and 14 residents were evacuated overnight from a senior living community that includes assisted living and memory care. She asked residents to stay clear of the Hazel Dell bridge area, where spectators had been gathering on foot, by car and by drone.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen reported about 552 residential units impacted and roughly 170 residents voluntarily evacuated over 72 hours, along with many pets. The city focused on three areas: the Riverwood community north of downtown, the southwest quadrant of downtown along the river, and the area near Federal Hill Commons, where crews are working to restore power to an apartment building in the floodplain. Noblesville’s wastewater treatment plant, he said, remained fully operational despite floodwaters surrounding it.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said his city’s work began Thursday, with swift-water rescues elsewhere followed by flash flooding at home that night. Crews rescued about six people from one neighborhood Thursday and another 10 to 12 people, plus pets, along the White River on Saturday.
Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said his city fared better, with no displaced residents and no infrastructure damage identified so far along Cool Creek.
Hamilton County Emergency Operations Director Chad Knecht delivered the sharpest warning of the morning: the danger has not passed with the water.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. Barricades are being pushed aside by drivers, roads may hide washouts and undermined bridges, and downed electrical lines can become re-energized. Residents should not re-enter barricaded areas without permission.
The county has consolidated assistance at a single point of contact. A resource center staffed with American Red Cross support is operating around the clock at Exhibition Hall, 2003 Pleasant St., Noblesville, at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The number is 317-645-3261.
Residents needing to briefly return to damaged homes should call that number or contact their local police department about an escort, the director said. In the coming days, damage assessment teams in marked vests will be photographing individual structures — documentation required for a federal disaster declaration.
It is too early to estimate costs, Altman said, with assessments just beginning.
Health officials warned that floodwater is not sanitary and urged residents to keep children out of standing water. The county health department will help residents with private wells and advise on discarding exposed or unrefrigerated food. Officials recommended photographing everything before cleaning, and wearing gloves and an N95 mask during cleanup because of mold risk.
Roughly 1,300 volunteers have signed up through Noblesville Serve, which is coordinating from the fairgrounds. Financial donations can be directed to the Hamilton County Community Foundation; item donations are being routed through the Good Samaritan Network and local churches.
County offices reopen for normal business Monday.