Gallery: Bloomington Floods

Kirkwood Avenue was under several feet of water after a torrential downpour left a large section of downtown under water Friday night. Members of the Bloomington Fire Department spent the night rescuing local residents trapped in flood waters even as the downtown Fire Headquarters was flooded.

BFD chief Jason Moore was asking residents not to drive through flood waters as he was trying to assess the damage to the flooded fire department HQ, which left several feet of water in the basement. The Bloomington Police Department, nearby on Third Street also flooded, and members of the police department work working to salvage items from the basement, which was also flooded.

Groups of people walked though several feet of water on Kirkwood even after being told not to do so. A group of women trudged though water on 4th Street not realizing a power line was submerged under water just up the street.

Cars were strewn about downtown abandoned after floating away. Some cars horns could be heard as the water short circuited the vehicle’s electrical systems.

As water receded, water rescues continued. Fire fighters tried to get to some people camped out and caught in flood waters, and were trying to get a boat at 4 a.m. as more rains began.