Five Americans are dead after record flooding swamped Indiana this week — and the federal government is still working on greenlighting disaster aid for its own citizens.
More than a dozen counties have declared local disasters. The White River has surpassed records set in 1913. First responders in boats have pulled 91 people and 45 pets from rising water in Indianapolis alone. A 4-year-old boy is dead after a tree crushed his home in Jennings County. A 58-year-old woman drowned trying to drive through floodwaters in Delaware County. A teenager who jumped into a river Wednesday wasn't recovered until days later. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike Braun confirmed Saturday that President Trump "intends to approve" his request for federal resources — not that resources are already flowing. Just that approval is intended.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett called it the city's most severe flooding in more than 30 years. Jacob Spence, director of Marion County Emergency Management, told the AP it's a "once-in-a-lifetime type flood" with new records being set. More than 11 inches of rain fell over two days in some areas. The White River crested above 24 feet in Anderson and Noblesville, shattering records that stood for over a century.
About 400 residents evacuated northern Indianapolis on their own. Another 350-plus evacuations hit Delaware County. A senior mobile home community in Tipton County was being cleared out. National Guard vehicles joined rescue operations. Flash-flood warnings remained in effect Saturday across central Indiana, with the White River expected to crest in the Indianapolis area that evening.
"The water is still rising, so heed the warnings," said Todd Wilson, the city's public works director. Indianapolis Fire Department spokesperson Rita Reith confirmed 91 people and 45 pets rescued as of early afternoon — a number almost certainly higher by now.
Both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AP News covered the disaster's scope and death toll straight. But neither pressed the obvious question: where is the urgency from Washington? AP noted Braun's statement that Trump "intends to approve" federal aid — language that suggests help is coming but hasn't landed. Neither outlet mentioned FEMA by name or compared the pace of this domestic response to the speed with which federal dollars ship overseas.
The question isn't whether Indiana will eventually get federal help. It's why Americans drowning in their own neighborhoods wait on paperwork while this government writes blank checks for foreign causes without a second thought.
