Family remembers woman killed in Jefferson County, Ind. flash flooding

MADISON, Ind. (WAVE) - Flash flooding ravaged part of Jefferson County, Indiana on Saturday, killing one woman in its wake.

Family identified the victim as 64-year-old Linda Wood. On Monday, they gathered where her house used to stand on Brushy Fork Road in Madison.

Jefferson County Emergency Management reported more than 9 inches of rain fell in less than three hours.

Family said Wood and her husband, Tony, built the house 20 years ago. The house and barn were wiped out by the flood, leaving nothing but the foundation behind.

Tony’s cousin, Roger McAdams, said Wood was trapped in her home on Saturday, and the water rose too quickly for her to get help.

First responders searched for Wood on Saturday but suspended their efforts overnight. McAdams said family members eventually found her body about five miles downstream.

“Seeing what I’ve seen has just been etched in my mind,” McAdams said while holding back tears. “I mean, you see your family member in that kind of shape, and having to watch Tony with his wife... It’s just rough, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through.”

McAdams said they’ve also seen looters on the property, taking what little they have left.

“The reason I’m down here is because we think guys have been coming down here and taking things from people who just lost everything,” McAdams said. “Why?”

McAdams described Wood as a loving mother and grandmother with an incredible heart.

The family has started a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral expenses and to rebuild.

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