NEWS

'It was like the roar of the ocean,' flood survivor says

Justin L. Mack, and Ellen Garrison
Indiana
With heavy rain fall in the area, Wayne Township Fire Department staged a water rescue in the 1000 block of South Biltmore Avenue Tuesday afternoon, July 7, 2015.

Myrna Delgadillo was among a handful of Westside residents who sought refuge Tuesday in a fire station.

A Biltmore Avenue resident since 1967, the sound of the oncoming water was a familiar signal to get out of the house.

"It was like the roar of the ocean," she said. "When my husband came out, the water was up to his shoulders inside of my home."

About 15 Westside residents were pulled from their flooded homes Tuesday afternoon as storms dumped heavy rain throughout Central Indiana.

As rushing water began to flow into homes in the area of West Washington Street and South Biltmore Avenue on the Westside, water rescue crews traveled by boat and by foot to pull stranded residents to safety.

About 20 homes were affected by the flooding, Capt. Mike Pruitt of the Wayne Township Fire Department said. Calls for help began to roll into the station around 3:45 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

"The water was rising very fast, so crews from our department, the Indianapolis Fire Department and Decatur Township came in and started those evacuations ... and did secondary searches to make sure that everyone was out," Pruitt said. "The situation is under control at this point, and we're just making sure that everyone is taken care of who lives within the affected area."

Pruitt said residents living in the area should not attempt to return home until flood waters recede. A temporary shelter stocked with blankets and snacks was established at Fire Station 82 on West Washington.

Delgadillo said the last bad flood hit her home in 2003. Since then many of her neighbors have moved out because of the rising cost of flood insurance.

"Last time the water got up to six feet and we had to move out ... we lost everything. I had flood insurance at the time, but it tripled after that flood, so now I have nothing," she said through tears. "We have no way to replace anything."

Still, Delgadillo is thankful for the help the fire department has been able to provide. Her family was given a voucher for a free hotel stay to get them through the night.

Everett Hensley, 71, was another Biltmore resident who found warmth at the fire station. With a poncho covering his shoulders and his 9-year-old dog, Max, sitting in his lap, Hensley waited quietly for his daughter to pick him up.

He has lived in the neighborhood for more than 35 years and doesn't plan on relocating because of Tuesday's storms.

"I can't give you an answer on how bad the damage is, but it's not good," he said. "We get this a lot, and it's definitely a lot of trouble."

Tuesday also brought flooding near the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and on North Arlington Avenue near the Pleasant Run Golf Course. Flash flood warnings were in effect until 8 p.m.

Showers and thunderstorms were predicted to last through the week, accumulating almost 3 more inches of rain by Friday, the National Weather Service said.

There is a 90 percent chance of precipitation Wednesday, followed by a 60 percent chance on Thursday.

The rainfall follows the seventh wettest June on record, with a total of 8.36 inches, which is 4.11 inches above normal.

Radar tracks stormy weather over Central Indiana on Tuesday.

Contact Star reporter Ellen Garrison at (317) 444-6179. Follow her on Twitter: @EllenGarrison.