Indiana storms linked to 5 deaths as floods trigger rescues and evacuations

Several dozen people and their pets were rescued Saturday as floodwaters rose along the White River in Indianapolis, and emergency managers said that number was expected to climb as authorities in the city and elsewhere in central Indiana responded to what many described as historic flooding.

"This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime type floods," Jacob Spence, director of Marion County Emergency Management, told The Associated Press. "So yeah, this is an unprecedented event and unfortunately we're setting some new records."

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett was joined by emergency managers during a briefing Saturday as he urged residents along the river to evacuate. A day earlier, he had declared a local emergency as heavy rains resulted in creeks and streams swelling throughout central Indiana.

Some rivers reached a level so high that they broke records set more than 100 years ago .

The damage so far was concentrated along the river corridor from Hamilton County and into the northern Indianapolis suburbs. Farther east in Delaware County, sheriff's deputies on Friday found the body of a 58-year-old woman who they believe died after trying to drive through floodwaters.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday that authorities found the body of 18-year-old Matthew Morey, an incoming Purdue University freshman who had gone missing after he entered the Mississinewa River with three others on Wednesday.

"There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child. Our hearts are with Matthew's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him," the sheriff's office told CBS News in a statement.

The county's Yorktown Public Library said it was severely impacted by the floods. Footage posted on the library's Facebook page on Friday shows approximately 1-foot-high floodwater throughout the building.

"Seeing our library in this state yesterday was nothing short of devastating. We're definitely all feeling a little heartbroken," the library said in the post. "We want to thank everyone who has already reached out to offer help. We're happy to report that the water has receded this morning, and we're working with a water mitigation company to come up with a plan."

Gov. Mike Braun has requested a presidential emergency declaration to free up federal resources to help with the response and recovery following days of record rainfall.

Flash flood warnings and watches were issued across a swath of central Indiana on Saturday, and forecasters with the National Weather Service warned that more showers and thunderstorms would be moving into the area throughout the day. In Warren County, forecasters reported 2 inches of rain falling in the past six hours.

The White River crested just shy of 25 feet in the city of Anderson on Friday, more than a foot above the record set in 1913.

Forecasters expected the White River to crest Saturday evening in the Indianapolis area, where National Guard vehicles were among those helping with the rescue efforts.