New Castle Begins Flood Damage Assessment
NEW CASTLE, Ind — New Castle officials are beginning to assess damage from historic flooding, but Mayor Greg York says the full extent of the damage won’t be known until floodwaters recede.
York says rushing water has damaged roads and washed out a bridge on Riley Road.
“We lost a bridge on Riley Road. Total washout, 20 foot wide, 35 foot long, 10 foot deep,” York said.
He says another road has not collapsed, but flooding washed away the infrastructure underneath it.
“The road did not collapse. It just washed out all the infrastructure underneath the road,” York said. “So we’re trying to get it fixed before the road collapses.”
York says the city has already started making repairs while working to secure financial assistance.
“We’ve already started repairing our roads,” he said. “We’re not going to sit back and financially pay for them right now until we can get that financial help.”
York is urging residents to watch for signs of damage, including cracks or possible sinkholes.
“We’re just asking our residents just to be careful, be cautious,” York said. “If you see cracks that you haven’t noticed before, if it looks like there’s a sinkhole, please get in contact with us as soon as possible.”
He says some damage cannot be assessed until the water goes down.
“There are some things that we have to assess, but you can’t assess them until the water goes down,” York said.
As of Friday morning, Indiana 211 is accepting damage reports from residents in Henry County.
