Flash Flood — Decatur, Indiana

2016-09-08 · near Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana

Event narrative

Interstate 74 was shut down between mile markers 134 and 143 due to high water from heavy thunderstorm rainfall.

Also, an Indianapolis woman drowned inside a vehicle late Thursday after it struck a semi on a flooded portion of Interstate 74 and overturned into a water-filled ditch, trapping her inside, county law enforcement officials said.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:53 p.m. Thursday. At that time, a Cloverdale man, 62, was traveling east on Interstate 74, near the 143 mile marker. Heavy rains led to high water on the roadway, which are believed to have caused the man to lose control of the vehicle and slide. As it slid, the vehicle was hit by a 2000 Freightliner semi and sent into a roadside ditch. The SUV came to rest upside-down and was partially submerged. More than four feet of water had collected in the ditch by the time the accident had occurred, Decatur County Sheriff said.

The deceased woman, 58, a passenger in the SUV, was pronounced dead at the scene. The man escaped the vehicle unharmed and he and emergency responders attempted to free the woman from the vehicle, but all were unable to pull her from the submerged car. Attempts to resuscitate the woman after she was extricated were unsuccessful.

Westbound lanes in the vicinity of the accident were shut down for approximately two hours, sheriff's department personnel said.

Wider weather episode

A band of heavy rainfall blanketed southern portions of the central Indiana during the evening of the 8th of September. A couple reports of flash flooding were received which included one water rescue from a car and a drowned woman after being involved in a automobile accident.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.3529, -85.4490)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 661277. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.