Motorists deal with day of record rainfall, flooded roads
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tuesday’s record-breaking rainfall — the rainiest April day in Indianapolis history — flooded roads and neighborhoods.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office answered an average of 3.7 phone calls a minute and logged 24 property-damage accidents and four injury accidents between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
City workers shut down parts of a flooded Harding Street near I-465 on the south side just after 11 a.m., but not before at least two cars stalled and drivers escaped a minor accident without injuries.
“It (my car) just flooded out,” Adam Messmore said. “I tried to start it and the battery’s dead now.”
Indiana Department of Transportation had to pump water from I-65 and closed parts of the interstate near the Marion-Johnson county line.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said a 1-1/2 to 3 feet of water is enough to sweep away a car.
Cheryl and Earl Jeffries live near East Edgewood Avenue and South Keystone Avenue in a home, but Cheryl described it as a “castle with a moat” Tuesday. The couple said they were bracing for Round 2 of the storms.
“It’s just really funny that on Sunday we were in shirt sleeves, Monday we had snow and today we have lots of rain,” Cheryl said. “Welcome to April in Indiana.”
Firefighters said they responded to at least one lightning strike fire and one downed power line. They logged reports of high water at multiple locations, including Sherman Drive, McFarland Road, Bluff Road and West Sumner Avenue, 8400 Railroad Road, and South Emerson Avenue and East Stop 11 Road.