BLOOMINGTON — Much of Indiana was left in turmoil after severe storms hit the state, lasting nearly four days.

Central and southern Indiana, including Bloomington, dealt with major flooding and damage after the storms. Bloomington saw just over six and a half inches of rainfall in only four days. Martinsville, just 20 miles up the road, received even more rain, reaching nearly seven and a half inches.

Ginger Davis, a research geologist for the Center for Rural Engagement at Indiana University said though the rainfall is not historic, it is significant. Davis said that the storms Bloomington saw reached the 25 year recurrence interval. Davis explained the recurrence interval as a storm big enough to happen approximately every 25 years.

The storms, or rather the flooding after the storms, had a deep impact on IU senior, Sophie Gorecki. Gorecki’s room is located in the basement of her Bloomington apartment, a location that often experiences the most flooding. During storms throughout the past two weeks, Gorecki said her basement room took in about three inches of standing water. She says the amount of rainfall Bloomington received in such a short time, along with a faulty grate outside her door, led to the immense amount of water in her room.

Gorecki said the storms and flooding were particularly stressful for her. She and her roommates had spent hours attempting to get the water out of her room with anything big enough to scoop water up, like her trash bin. With little success, Gorecki was forced to move out of her apartment for an extended period of time. Many of her personal belongings were ruined as well. Gorecki said the most discouraging part of the event was the disruption to her personal and academic life.

Although the storms and flooding had a big impact on houses and cars, many people were affected as well. Crystal Pettet, a service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, said that the calls for water rescue services have gone up an immense amount since the storms. Even days after the storms had stopped, many individuals were still experiencing the effects of flooding and damage to their properties.

Pettet said that in addition to acknowledging the dangers of flooding in the home, road safety is another important piece of the puzzle. She encourages people to avoid driving during storms with high amounts of rainfall or through floods after storms. If you have to drive, Pettet says to never drive on a street marked “closed,” as the likelihood of getting stuck and needing to call for help is extremely high.

Pettet’s final piece of advice for drivers during or after severe storms that bring on flooding is this: “Turn around, don’t drown.”

96-hour rainfall totals in central and southern Indiana. Data from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, captured from 4/2/25-4/6/25.

7-day rainfall totals for central and southern Indiana. Data from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, captured from 3/30/25-4/6/25.

Flood data from the White River in Spencer, IN, showing the flooding reaching the "major" category. Spencer, IN, was the data nearest to Bloomington, IN, that was available. Data from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.