Indiana Flooding: 113-Year Record, 300,000 Outages, I-70 Damage, and the IDEM Window Opening Now

Days of storms beginning August 11 killed at least seven people across Indiana. The White River crested at 24.5 feet in Noblesville, surpassing a record set in 1913. At peak, nearly 300,000 utility customers statewide lost power. By late Sunday evening, roughly 130,000 remained without service, with another storm cluster expected through central and southern Indiana that same night.

The operational exposure for Indiana manufacturers runs deeper than the outage numbers.

I-70 sustained direct physical damage, one of the highest-volume freight corridors in the country. The Whitewater Valley Railroad has already estimated flood repair costs in the millions. And Delaware County Emergency Management confirmed floodwaters swept sewage, gasoline, and other toxic chemicals into the river system. Any facility with water intake or discharge permits tied to the White River or its tributaries is now inside an IDEM and EPA post-event scrutiny window that will not appear in the initial damage estimates.

On the planning side: this crest surpassed a record set in 1913. Whether or not events like this become more frequent, your flood-zone and supply-chain assumptions were built against the old record. They need to be tested against this one.

Watch for a federal disaster declaration in the coming days. Once affected counties are formally designated, SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications typically open within two to four weeks, with a 60-day physical damage filing window. Get someone tracking that timeline now. Do not let the application window close before you have assessed your physical damage exposure.

Questions for Your Morning Huddle

Q: How long after an Indiana flood disaster declaration do manufacturers have to apply for SBA disaster loans?

A: Once affected counties are formally designated in a federal disaster declaration, SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications typically open within two to four weeks. Physical damage loan applications carry a 60-day filing window from the declaration date. Assign someone to track the declaration status for your county now, the window is fixed and does not extend because you were busy assessing damage.

Q: What should Indiana manufacturers with permits near the White River do after this flood?

A: If your facility holds water intake or discharge permits tied to the White River or its tributaries, you are inside an active IDEM and EPA post-event scrutiny window right now. Delaware County Emergency Management confirmed floodwaters swept sewage, gasoline, and other toxic chemicals into the river system. Pull your permit conditions, document your discharge and intake records from the storm period, and contact your environmental counsel before IDEM contacts you.