JENNINGS COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) — Heavy rain and flooding led to multiple water rescues Wednesday in Jennings County as another round of storms moved through southern Indiana.
U.S. 50 East near Butlerville was closed earlier Wednesday because of high water. The highway temporarily reopened as water levels dropped, according to the Jennings County Sheriff's Office.
But even with roads closed because of flooding, some drivers still ended up needing help.
The Jennings County Sheriff's Department responded to two water rescues along U.S. 50 East. No one was injured.
In one case, Low said the driver was not familiar with the road and didn't realize how deep the water would get.
Crews normally use boats for water rescues, but the water was shallow enough at the time that a boat wasn't needed.
Flooding is nothing new for people who live in the area.
Bob Giddens has lived in Jennings County for about 40 years. He said one stretch of road near his home regularly floods during heavy rain.
"I know every time it rains real hard in the morning when I'm driving in the dark, I approach this very slowly," he said.
But the storms are also raising another concern in rural parts of the county: getting warnings when severe weather hits.
Cell service can be limited in some areas, making it difficult for people to make calls or receive weather alerts on their phones.
Giddens said he expects to get an alert when severe weather is approaching, especially after what happened the day before.
A 4-year-old boy was killed Tuesday when a tree fell onto a home in Geneva Township.
"I live very close to where that happened," Giddens said. "I have trees all around my property, and I have three kiddos. It scares me. It scares the life out of me, honestly."
Jennings County dispatch controls the county's outdoor tornado warning sirens. Weather warnings are issued by the National Weather Service, but receiving alerts on a cellphone depends on having a signal.
Alex Miller also relies on his phone for weather alerts. He said flooding can create another problem for drivers who don't know what conditions are like ahead.
"I feel like a lot of times you don't know if a road's flooded until you go down that road," Miller said.
Low said the department responded to about 25 other calls Wednesday, including reports of flooded roads and fallen trees.
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