Owen County emergency responders stayed busy responding to flood calls Tuesday. Rainfall of just over three inches fell there Monday night, but for lowland areas like Owen County those inches turned into feet because of overflow from adjacent rivers.
Owen County officials responded to at least five calls for help Tuesday. But Cris Lunsford, director of emergency medical services for the county, says the first call was the scariest.
"There was a gentleman trapped in his car," Lunsford says. "He got out of his car and tried to walk the shore and got swept away and then was able to make it back to his car, so we got the rescue boats here and was able to launch those and go get him out of his car and get him to dry land."
Sheriff Sam Hobbs says first responders rescued the man with the help of 12 volunteers and a rubber raft.
"They're the ones that make this happen. They come out here this morning, they left their jobs, homes, to come out here and help with this incident," Hobbs says. "And my hats off to all the volunteers and the first responders – what an incredible job they did making this a rescue and not a recovery."
David Young is a friend of the man who was stuck in his car. He says they came over to check on him when they noticed his vehicle submerged in three feet of water. Young says it's been years since they've seen flooding to this extent.
"I think it was 2008, and it washed out the bridge on 46 then," Young says. "So it's not near as bad this time as it was then."
The National Weather Service says flash flood warnings are still in effect for portions of south central Indiana after the recent storms broke the new daily rainfall record for April.
Lunsford says they work hard to make residents aware of the risks that come with flooding.
"We post on social media about driving through high water, we put stuff in the newspaper, but we always end up having somebody drive through water," Lunsford says.
Heavy rains also caused flooding in Martinsville, which displaced six people from their rooms at the Royal Motel off State Road 47.
Witnesses say clogged storm drains were to blame and water quickly rose while they were sleeping. Those affected were sent to a local church, but some chose to stay behind.
Among those who stayed was John Davenport. He says he didn't have friends or family that could bring him back to the motel where he's lived for five years.
It's unclear when electricity and running water could be restored, but crews began cleaning the property Tuesday morning.
