Ravenswood residents lean on each other as floodwaters recedes

Gw Welsh and his family had prepared for floodwaters to be around knee high, or a few feet maximum, at their home in Ravenswood.

So, before the Aug. 15 storm hit in Indianapolis, they dropped off his son’s collectable toys and clothes for a few family members at a friend’s house, and stacked their furniture on top of bricks to keep it from getting wet. 

But the water rose past their exceptions, rising above 16 feet around the neighborhood, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Welsh’s house on East 69th Street wasn’t able to withstand chest-deep water.

“The flooring of our house is gone,” Welsh said. “I don’t know what the structure is going to look like; I know the walls are gonna come down. Hopefully with FEMA and the insurance we get some kind of some kind of relief.”

Central Indiana experienced historic flooding over the Aug. 15 weekend. Several neighborhoods in Marion County were told to evacuate, including Rocky Ripple, Ravenswood, parts of Broad Ripple and some parts of the south side. While some residents have since been able to access their homes, others are just now starting the long road to recovery. 

On Monday, many Ravenswood homes were still flooded with standing water and several streets were still impassable. The flood water had gone down some by Tuesday morning, but some homes closer to White River were still inaccessible. 

Welsh said he’s grateful he was able to protect his wife, son, disabled father, daughter and her boyfriend. For now, he and his wife are crashing at his friend’s house while the kids stay at his mother’s house in Kokomo. 

He spent the weekend canoeing through the streets to help save his neighbors and their pets from hazardous conditions. He and some others sprang into action when they realized other rescue teams missed a few people during the evacuation. 

“It was completely surreal,” Welsh said. “It was just a car underwater, tree on a house, floating debris, floating everything. Not just trash, but like, there goes a nice guitar.”

In the aftermath of the floods, he and other residents and volunteers have gone to the homes of elderly residents to see what supplies they need and are picking up trash so it won’t flow back into the river. 

A smaller community, Ravenswood did not have an official Facebook page until this weekend. Neighborhood residents Becca Panyard, Kat Stuart and Abbie Downes created one to help share resources and updates following the flood. 

“We wanted to make sure that the individuals that are in the greatest need get first access to those resources,” Stuart said. “And we wanted to come together as a community to try and get things started to rebuild Ravenswood.”

The three organized a meeting Monday afternoon in the parking lot of American Legion Post 34 on East 54th Street. A handful of neighbors gathered to talk about next steps. 

The impact of the flood varies for Ravenswood residents. While some have returned home to assess any damage, several have been displaced, forced to stay with family members or take shelter at local churches. 

Panyard said it was hard to see other neighborhoods, like Rocky Ripple, be more organized and further ahead in the recovery process. 

“There’s a lot of older folks, disabled folks, people that probably don’t use social media compared to other areas,” Panyard said. “That is a factor as to why the cleanup will probably be slower in Ravenswood.” 

At Monday’s meeting, volunteers were designated to check on high impact areas in the neighborhood. With other organizations stepping up with shelter and food resources, residents are hoping to focus on gathering supplies needed for clean up. 

Several dumpsters have been donated for residents to use. Glendale Christian Church across from Riverwood Park has agreed to serve as the main donation hub for the neighborhood. Residents are encouraged to check out the Ravenswood Community Group Facebook page for other updates and volunteer opportunities.

Some volunteers started cleanup efforts Tuesday morning. Wet furniture and debris were removed from homes. In some homes with damage, wet drywall will need to be removed before homes can be rebuilt. Others are still waiting to learn more about the condition of their homes before they can move forward.  

Suze Stamm had to be evacuated from her home by canoe. She’s not sure what can be done to save it. She called her insurance company, but was told the flood damage would not be covered. She’s hoping FEMA can help. 

“I moved here in 1977, a long time,” Stamm said. “This is probably the fifth flood and the very worst flood of all time.” 

Welsh and other residents are asking people to donate whatever they can, including water, a home cooked meal or box fans. 

“If you just give something simple to a person who’s had everything taken away, it matters a whole lot,” Welsh said. “You can touch people with such simple things.”

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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or da***********@********dy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.

Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at el***************@********dy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.

Cara Penquite is a photojournalism intern for Mirror Indy and FPI News. Contact her at ca***********@********dy.org.

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