Flood in Jackson County, Indiana

River flooding in northeastern Jackson County was exasperated locally by heavy rainfall during the overnight of the 4th-5th around 2.00 inches, with the East Fork White River later cresting at Seymour in major flood stage on the 5th evening. On the 6th morning around 700EST, a man in an airboat near Courtland, while attempting to rescue individuals stranded in a submerged vehicle, died after the boat experienced mechanical issues, capsized, and was swept under a bridge.

During March 3 to March 7, 2026, large surface high pressure from the southeastern United States into the Atlantic focused a broad fetch of Gulf moisture northward into the Midwest. A quasi-stationary frontal boundary near the Ohio Valley provided lift and focused, at times heavy rainfall over much of central Indiana, especially along the valley of the East Fork White River, and its tributaries northeast of Columbus through east-central central Indiana.

From the morning of the 3rd through dawn on the 4th, heavy rainfall over the watershed of the East Fork White's headwaters totaled mainly 2.00-3.75 inches. Additional 1-day rainfall to dawn on the 5th, along the river's main stem from Columbus down through Martin County totaled generally 1.50-3.00 inches. Further 2.5-day rainfall through late on the 7th was generally 1.00-2.00 inches along this main stem. Overall 4.5-day rainfall totals were 4.00 to 6.00 inches for most portions of the entire East Fork White watershed.

Resultant widespread significant river flooding, including adjacent lowlands, from the Columbus area downstream through Jackson County, Lawrence County, and Martin County necessitated multiple water rescues. Four persons over three counties perished when swept away by flood waters from the 6th to the 9th - three in motor vehicles and one in an airboat that encountered mechanical failure.