Flood in Johnson County, Indiana

Standing water caused vehicles to become stranded on roads with at least one road closed by the high water.

On the evening of March 3, 2026, central Indiana experienced a wave of isolated severe weather fueled by record-breaking warmth and high humidity. The most significant severe report occurred in Hendricks County, where intense storms dropped 1 inch hail that was thick enough to completely cover road surfaces in areas like Avon. While the storms were scattered, they packed enough punch to create hazardous driving conditions and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning across the Interstate 74 corridor.

In addition to the hail, heavy rainfall led to localized flash flooding that caused significant disruptions in the southern suburbs. Near New Whiteland, rapid water accumulation forced the closure of several roads and led to a dangerous situation where a vehicle became stranded in floodwaters. This evening of activity was a precursor to a larger regional flooding event, as the 2 to 4 inches of rain saturated the ground and caused several local rivers to rise rapidly toward flood stage over the following 24 hours.