Midwest braces for even more rounds of flooding rain this weekend

INDIANAPOLIS — Disastrous flooding rain is drenching the Midwest for an eighth straight day, with officials reporting at least six deaths across Indiana, and more storms continuing to roll through Sunday.

In eastern Indiana, which has seen some of the worst of this week's storms, the White River reached major flood stage Saturday morning.

More than 8 million people across the Midwest remain under flood watches Sunday. In areas already saturated by rain, even modest rainfall in the coming hours could cause new problems.

Rescues ongoing, disaster emergencies declared

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said Saturday afternoon that President Donald Trump told him he intended to approve the state's request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration.

Severe weather in the area of Indiana's state fairgrounds caused organizers to temporarily close the fair's gate Saturday morning and warn fair goers to seek shelter until the storm had passed.

On Friday, Indianapolis Mayor Hogsett declared a local disaster emergency for the city and Marion County "due to the severe flooding that will impact residents."

Yorktown, in Indiana's Delaware County, declared a local disaster emergency Thursday, when first responders were working around the clock to assist with evacuations. Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater.

The Yorktown Fire Department has helped roughly 10 people escape vehicles stranded in floodwater or homes surrounded by water since Wednesday, Lt. Blair Webster told CNN. Floodwater was chest-deep in parts of Yorktown, he said.

Photos and a video posted by the Yorktown Public Library show floodwater in the book stacks and submerged children's toys.

On Thursday night, the Delaware County emergency management office said it had received reports of "noxious, chemical, and foul fumes" coming from floodwater. The office warned residents to watch for symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and headache.

In the city of Muncie, water is deep enough in the streets that rescuers are using motorized boats, and essential infrastructure is failing. "I've been with the department for 29 years, and I've never seen flooding like this," the city's Fire Chief Dan Burford told CNN Thursday.

In nearby Anderson, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swollen White River and other waterways.

Indiana homes, businesses flooded

Photos and videos out of Indiana show scenes of destruction as floodwater rushed into homes and businesses.

Timothy Hicks, a father of six, told the Associated Press it was "a panic to get out of here" when floodwater began pouring into their Cambridge City, Indiana, house on Wednesday.

"I just started grabbing them, running them out to the car without even getting shoes, clothes or anything like that," he said. Video of the home shows ruined bedrooms, a damaged bike and flooded yard. "It just crushes me. My kids' house is gone," Hicks added.

Security camera photos show the devastation caused by flooding in Metamora, Indiana, where numerous businesses were damaged Wednesday.

Bill Smith, owner of Village Smith and Village Smith Coffee Bar, told CNN many residents are facing significant losses.

"We won't know until we see how much more flooding may occur with the incoming rain," Smith said. "There's not much we can say about the degree of loss until we can access our buildings."

Renewed flood danger late Sunday

Another round of storms will likely move through Appalachia late Sunday through early Monday.

West Virginia faces the greatest risk from another round of flooding rain — a Level 3 of 4 — that's set to continue through Sunday midday but will kick into another gear in the evening as storms head east.

Exactly where the heaviest rain lands remains uncertain, but forecast models suggest more than 4 inches could fall in the hardest-hit areas, with isolated totals topping 6 inches through Monday.

A broader Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain remains elsewhere in Appalachia, the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. Rainfall totals may be lower there, but intense downpours could quickly renew flooding in waterlogged communities.

The flood threat will ease Sunday overnight — especially by later Monday morning — as a cold front scoops up the remaining showers in the Mid-Atlantic and drives them offshore. It will leave behind drier conditions and bring a reprieve to the nonstop flooding.

Contributing: Sarah Dewberry, Rebekah Riess, Kate S. Petersen, Briana Waxman, Mary Gilbert, Tyler Ory and Maria Aguilar Prieto

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