A state of emergency was declared in Washington County, Indiana, on Friday, after severe storms led to heavy flooding.
A travel ban was also put into effect, restricting all non-emergency vehicles from travel.
Many homes and businesses in downtown Salem, and surrounding areas, were underwater due to the flooding. According to local WDRB, some areas were under as much as 20 feet of water.
Fire chief says some of this area pictured is likely under 20 ft of water. This was a CREEK. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/CsrQPiOusy
— Sara Sidery (@SaraSideryWDRB) May 20, 2017
“It just rained and rained and rained, and next thing you know, this is what you got,” said Troy Merry, Mayor of Salem. “It’s a heartbreaking situation, but we will get through it.”
No deaths have been reported due to flooding, however many water rescues were carried out.
Oil tanks have leaked into the water; downtown smells like gas. #salemindiana #flood #salem pic.twitter.com/SppOWrhFed
— Kayla Cooper (@kaycoope) May 20, 2017
As of Friday evening, several major roadways remained closed, including State Route 56 into Salem.
“The City of Salem and Washington Co., is currently under a state of emergency please stay home do not get out to ‘sight see;’ there are multiple emergency service crews working in multiple locations,” the Salem Fire Department said on Facebook.
The National Weather Service released this map, highlighting several flood-prone locations.
