At least five people have died in severe storms and flooding in the Midwestern US state of Indiana, as boats are used to rescue people from submerged homes.
Several rivers, including the White River that runs through Indianapolis, have overflowed their banks, flooding surrounding areas. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said it was the worst flooding the area has seen in more than 30 years.
The country’s National Meteorological Department said some areas received more than 280 millimeters of rain in just two days.
Indiana Governor Mike Brown on Friday requested a state of emergency declaration from the president so the state can receive more federal aid.
On Saturday, he said President Donald Trump had agreed to approve the request.
In a post on social media, Brown said the federal government would assist in assisting people affected by the devastating storms and unprecedented flooding in Indiana.
Meanwhile, Delaware County sheriff’s officials recovered the body of a 58-year-old woman on Friday, believed to have died while trying to drive through floodwaters.
A four-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on his house in Jennings County, and law enforcement officials recovered the body of a teenager who had been missing since Wednesday after jumping into a river.
