More than an entire month’s worth of rain has pummeled a Midwestern town this week, as meteorologists recorded 5.11 inches of rain over a 48-hour period in Millhousen, Indiana.
The Hoosier State has been hit by several days of torrential rain this week, pushing rivers and streams past capacity and prompting widespread flood alerts. Much of central and southern Indiana remains under flood watches and warnings as rain is expected to continue on Thursday night and Friday night, with more than 5 inches already recorded in some areas, raising concerns for both urban flooding and rapidly rising waterways.
Some of the highest amounts fell in Millhousen, a rural town around 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis. There is no climate site in Millhousen, and the closest one to the town is in Shelbyville, where the average monthly rainfall is only 3.59 inches, making the current two-day total 142 percent of the area’s average, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Aaron Updike told Newsweek.
“This is definitely way more than normal,” Updike said.
In Shelbyville, 3.97 inches of rain fell over the past 48 hours, placing seventh of all time for two-day rainfall amounts. Indianapolis also saw significant rain and broke a daily record on Tuesday when 2.59 inches fell. The previous record was 2.24 inches set in 2023.
The NWS warned that creeks, streams and low‑lying areas are especially vulnerable, and multiple rivers are projected to continue rising through the end of the week.
“Total rainfall amounts of 3 to over 5 inches of rain across much of central and southern Indiana will bring major flooding to the East Fork White at Seymour and moderate flooding to most of the rest of the East Fork White River basin. Additional rainfall over the weekend and next week could lengthen the amount of time the river remains in flood,” NWS Indianapolis said in a flood warning.
The East Fork White River at Seymour is expected to crest in major flood stage overnight Thursday, with river levels forecast to reach 19.4 feet. At this depth, evacuations are possible and area roads can become impassible. The all-time flood record for this location occurred when the river reached 21 feet in March 1913.
“Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas,” a flood warning said.
Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Officials urge residents to monitor changing conditions closely and avoid flooded roads, as repeated rounds of heavy rain keep flood risks elevated.
