State agency to assess flood damage in 3 SE Indiana counties

MANVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Officials in three southeastern Indiana counties have declared local disasters following flash flooding last weekend that killed one woman and damaged numerous homes and roads.

Staffers with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will now visit Ohio, Jefferson and Switzerland counties this week to assess the scope of flood damage there, said Anna Shei, a spokeswoman for the state agency.

Based on their findings, Gov. Eric Holcomb will decide whether to issue state disaster declarations for the counties and whether to seek funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Shei said.

Torrential rains fell on the counties Saturday night, turning normally small creeks into raging torrents after perhaps eight inches of rain fell in a short period of time, officials said.

The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency said one woman died, two homes were destroyed and more than 20 buildings were damaged by floodwaters around the rural community of Manville.

Jefferson County officials closed at least two flood-damaged bridges indefinitely in the area about midway between Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, while the state highway department closed a bridge for Indiana 250 in Switzerland County for repairs.

Tara Flint said the deluge forced her and her family out of their home, sending them fleeing to a hill in their backyard where they watched floodwaters take their home and barn and other property.

“It was just surreal to see that," Flint told WXIX-TV.