INDIANAPOLIS — Heavy and steady rainfall over the last 48 hours triggered recurring flooding problems in some Indianapolis neighborhoods.
Early Wednesday morning, water levels rose under the bridge at Sherman Drive and Southeastern Avenue, and a number of cars got stuck.
"I think, oh my gosh," said Mary George, an Indianapolis resident.
George has lived on the southeast side of Indy for more than 20 years and says the bridge has been a problem since she moved in.
"The whole time I’ve lived here, when it rains I just don’t use the dock area," said George.
After a few hours, the water receded but George says it has become a hassle for drivers.
"Yes, because you have to drive around, you have to take a different way around," said George.
WRTV cameras also captured a car getting towed out of high water at South Hanna Avenue and Harding Street.
In response to these two areas flooding, a DPW spokesperson said:
"Marion County and the City of Indianapolis have seen another significant rainfall event, which has led to minor flooding in low lying and poor drainage areas of the county. Marion County was under a flood advisory until 11 a.m. today due to the excessive rainfall, which saw parts of the county receive well over 2 inches of rain in a 24-hour period.
Citizens Energy Group identified a structure at Southeastern Avenue and Sherman Drive that was completely obstructed causing water to surge down under the railroad bridge. That has since been cleared by CEG and should be functioning again.
Issues on other roads have been addressed as they have been reported. Due to the high volume of water in a short period, backups in the drainage system can occur. These typically clear shortly after the rainfall stops and the county’s drainage system has time to process the influx of water.
Indy DPW has had crews responding to storm related needs including high water signage and tree removal. In the last 24 hours, there have been a total of 19 tree down locations that required Indy DPW to respond.
In the last year the department has focused on better approaches to addressing flooding across Indianapolis. This has included bringing on new team members to respond to an ever-increasing number of rapid precipitation events.
New team members include:
- Senior Project Manager for Stormwater
- New Field Investigators for Operations: Funding three new field investigators will bring the total to nine for the division, providing more equitable geographic coverage with one dedicated to each township. They will help triage flooding event response and how Indy DPW can work to alleviate these issues.
- We are also putting more money towards resolving stormwater issues. Mayor Hogsett and the City-County Council have funded a 5-year capital plan that is bringing a $220 million investment in stormwater through 2027. That’s $177 million in drainage work and $26 million to local culverts. The yearly budget for stormwater-related projects has grown from $43 million in 2017 to $79 million in 2024 – that's close to double an investment.
Officials with the City are reminding the public to be aware of their surroundings and to not drive through flooded roads. It is very difficult, especially at night, to determine how deep flooded areas are.
As a property owner, you are responsible for drainage issues on your property. You can help by making sure drainage ditches, driveway pipes, and easements are in working order and clear of anything that would obstruct water flow.
Citizens Energy Group maintains the stormwater piping and roadside ditches for the City to facilitate safe and efficient control of stormwater within Marion County.
The City of Indianapolis utilizes the Citizens Energy Group (CEG) call center to triage all stormwater drainage concerns from residents. When heavy rains cause flooding and drainage issues in city streets and sidewalks, notify CEG at (317) 924-3311. CEG will triage the concern and determine the correct organization to address the issue. Some calls may be forwarded to DPW dispatch for resolution.
Down off Wicker Road and South Tibbs Avenue, Scott and Julie Cooper are concerned about the flooding to the entrance of their neighborhood.
The Cooper's say school buses won't go through it and worry if there's ever and emergency. Scott says every time it rains, he worries if he can get to work.
"In my brain, I'm not going back to sleep because it's like am I going to be flooded in, am I going to work, all these different scenarios," said Scott.
The Cooper's say they've reached out to the city multiple times.
PREVIOUS | Flooding causing issues on Indiana roadways, neighborhoods (wrtv.com)
In April, when this happened, the city told us no projects to fix the issue were in the works. Today, the status is the same.
"It's just extremely frustrating and we would like someone to look into it to see what they can do to help," said Scott.
