Emergency crews dealt with several crashes Thursday night caused by slick roads. Many city streets and county roads are now covered with water, as well, following non-stop rain in central Indiana.
Zionsville, Western Boone and Lebanon decided to not hold school on Friday. Others, including Rossville, Tipton, Westfield and North Vermillion, called for two hour delays of Friday classes to allow busses extra time to make their rounds.
Carmel High School has arranged shuttles to transport students from the stadium parking lots over swollen Cool Creek to the school.
Dozens of drivers needed to be pulled from stalled vehicles throughout the metro and suburban areas after they drove into high water.
Late Thursday night, there were several reports of high water in Hamilton County. Cars were reported stranded on flooded streets in Carmel and Westfield. In Brownsburg, emergency crews were working on a water rescue at Arbuckle Acres Park, where they used a rope to pull a man from his car.
Residents of Zionsville and Lebanon had to leave their homes, with shelters established at the town hall in Zionsville, and the Central Christian Church on East Main in Lebanon.
Boone County authorities reported several road closings for the Zionsville area: Willow Road north of the golf course, Sycamore at Lions Park, Turkey Foot, Ford Road at 96th and 96th east of Zionsville Road were all closed due to flooding.
Hamilton County reported trouble spots along 146th Street north and east of Clay Terrace Mall, Carey Road west of Bridgewater Country Club, Little Eagle Creek between 146th and 156th, State Road 213 between 246th and 256th, 116th west of Meridian, and 106th and Springmill Road.
Noblesville reports State Road 38 closed between S. Harbour Drive and River Road. State Road 19 is closed between Logan Street and Field Drive. And Hague Road is closed between SR 32 and Lakeview Drive.
It was hard to miss the sight Thursday afternoon as ominous clouds rolled toward Indianapolis. Although the threat of severe weather faded, the rain never did. Heavy downpours drenched the evening rush.
Eyewitness News cameras captured rain falling hard in Boone County near Zionsville, in Marion County along I-465, and in Tippecanoe County near Lafayette.
At times, visibility on the roads was tough on drivers. In fact, wet weather is believed to have played a role in an accident on the south side. Police say a semi, going too fast in the rain, slid off the ramp near I-465 and I-65.
On I-65 near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street exit, State Police say the driver of an SUV hydroplaned on the wet highway before flipping his vehicle in the southbound lanes. Both driver and passenger were able to walk away. Investigators say alcohol may have been a factor, in addition to the weather.
Water rose quickly on some city streets, filling up roadways and posing a danger to drivers. The heavy rain proved to be too much for storm drains.
That could be a threat into the morning rush, as the rain continues to fall.
Although wind gusts weren't the big story Thursday, on the east side of Indianapolis, wind brought down brought a large tree down in the storm on Linwood Avenue.
Thomas Brown's neighbors heard it fall. It was ripped from its roots and landed across Brown's yard, into the road.
"They said a tree done fell down - your tree," Brown said. "They heard this thump. They heard a thump. I mean you see it. It pulled it right out of the ground."
The tree didn't cause any property damage, but heavy rain did cause damage elsewhere.
Channel 13 viewers shared photos of flooded yards in Westfield and flooded basements in Advance.
Meteorologist Chris Wright reported Kokomo has received more than 3.5" of rain Thursday, while Indianapolis saw about 1.2". To the east of downtown, however, rain showers were few and far between - Shelbyville received just .05" of rain.
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