Days of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least seven people dead, officials said, as floodwaters peaked in Indianapolis' White River and rains were expected to ease in the state capital region and other parts of the state Sunday.
In Indianapolis, flooding from the White River peaked early Sunday morning, with high water levels expected to hold for a few hours before beginning to recede, according to the city's Department of Public Works. The agency said it would reopen the city's floodgates Sunday and that emergency shelters remained open after hundreds of homes along the river and its canals were evacuated.
First responders used boats to rescue people stranded by rapidly rising floodwaters. Recovery efforts, meanwhile, started in earnest as parts of the state began drying out.
"I must admit it is a good morning," Christine Altman, president of the Hamilton County board of commissioners, said during a Sunday briefing. "It's not raining, and the water is receding."
The damage so far was concentrated along the river corridor from Hamilton County and into the northern Indianapolis suburbs. Farther east in Delaware County, sheriff's deputies on Friday found the body of a 58-year-old woman who they believe died after trying to drive through floodwaters.
"My heart is with the families and loved ones of the five Hoosiers we have lost and every family whose life has been changed by these storms," Gov. Mike Braun said Saturday in a statement. "Please continue to take flooding seriously and stay away from floodwaters."
The Delaware County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday that authorities found the body of 18-year-old Matthew Morey, an incoming Purdue University freshman who had gone missing after he entered the Mississinewa River with three others on Wednesday.
"There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child. Our hearts are with Matthew's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him," the sheriff's office told CBS News in a statement.
According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the other storm-related deaths included a 4-year-old boy in Jennings County, a 58-year-old woman in Lake County, an 86-year-old woman in Porter County, a 32-year-old man in LaPorte County and a 31-year-old man in Henry County.
Officials in Jennings County, in the southern end of the state, said the 4-year-old boy was killed Tuesday when a tree crashed through his bedroom during strong winds.
Nearly 130,000 utility customers statewide remained without power as of Sunday afternoon, down from a peak of around 300,000, according to the online utility tracker PowerOutage.us.
The county's Yorktown Public Library said it was severely impacted by the floods. Footage posted on the library's Facebook page on Friday shows approximately 1-foot-high floodwater throughout the building.
"Seeing our library in this state yesterday was nothing short of devastating. We're definitely all feeling a little heartbroken," the library said in the post. "We want to thank everyone who has already reached out to offer help. We're happy to report that the water has receded this morning, and we're working with a water mitigation company to come up with a plan."
Gov. Braun said he has spoken to President Trump, who on Saturday approved the governor's request for a presidential emergency declaration to free up to $5 million in federal resources to help with the response and recovery following days of record rainfall.
The NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the NBA's Indiana Pacers on Sunday said they are donating $125,000 each to flood relief efforts throughout the state. The WNBA's Indiana Fever and the G League basketball team Noblesville Boom also joined the effort. The money is going directly to the American Red Cross.
Terry Stigdon, the CEO of the American Red Cross Indiana Region, said 200 people were served Saturday night and more than 4,700 meals and snacks have been served in recent days.
The National Weather Service reported that more than 11 inches of rain fell over two days in some areas. The White River crested just shy of 25 feet in the city of Anderson and Noblesville on Friday, more than a foot above the record set in 1913.
Authorities estimated that about 400 people evacuated parts of northern Indianapolis on their own, while the governor's office reported that more than 350 evacuations have occurred in Delaware County and that a senior mobile home community in Tipton County was being evacuated. Rescues and welfare checks were also happening in Fayette County.
Residents posted videos on social media that showed vehicles stranded in high water, a power pole being toppled by rushing water and flooded intersections.
Earlier this week, severe storms wreaked havoc across other parts of the Midwest, causing tornadoes, heavy rains and flash flooding. Storm damage was reported from the Chicago area all the way to western Pennsylvania.