Gov. Braun declares statewide emergency amid ‘catastrophic’ flooding, widespread power outages – One America News Network

OAN Staff Lillian Mann
12:49 PM – Thursday, August 13, 2026

A torrential downpour has prompted Indiana GOP Governor Mike Braun to declare a Statewide Disaster Emergency as life-threatening flash floods have swept across the state.

On Wednesday, thousands of East-central and Northeast Indiana residents were instructed to seek higher ground immediately after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a rare Flash Flood Emergency for Muncie, New Castle and surrounding areas due to the “catastrophic flooding.”

The flooding has caused severe damage to drainage systems and rapidly raising water levels in creeks, rivers and low-lying areas while local officials reported road closures, water rescues and evacuations in some communities.

In an X post on Thursday, Braun (R-Ind.) stated that the state response to the emergency is “fully mobilized.”

“I have declared a Statewide Disaster Emergency to strengthen Indiana’s response to the widespread damage caused by this week’s severe storms, flooding, tornadic activity, and derecho,” Braun wrote on X. “This declaration mobilizes state agencies, unlocks emergency resources and gives us additional tools to support local response and recovery efforts. Hoosiers’ safety is my top priority. Our state response is fully mobilized, resources are moving where they’re needed, and we will continue working around the clock to support every impacted community.”

The NWS deemed the flood damage “catastrophic,” with rain expected to continue and several more inches forecast to accumulate over the next three days, worsening an already dire situation.

In Newcastle, according to reports, more than 11 inches of rain hit the area in just one day. Such rainfall is extremely rare, with only 1 in 1,000 or 0.1% chance of it happening in any given time, according to CBS News.

Emergency managers issued Flash Flood Emergencies across Fayette, Wayne, Franklin, and Union counties — focusing heavily on Cambridge City, Connersville, and Brownsville. With widespread flooding, impassable roads, and evacuations underway, officials warned an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain could still fall.

According to the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) nearly 250,000 customers are without power as storms rage through Northwest Indiana.

“This is the largest outage event documented in NIPSCO’s history, affecting approximately 60% of our electric customers at its peak and causing extensive damage throughout the electric system,” NIPSCO said in a press release. “Because of the historic number of outages and the widespread nature of the damage, crews are still conducting damage assessments across the territory.”

Munster, Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Highland and Merrillville are the areas impacted the most, according to a map from NIPSCO. The company highlighted that this is the largest and most widespread outage event in NIPSCO’s history.