PLAINVILLE, Ind. -- Residents of two southwestern Indiana towns endured tense moments Tuesday as the raging White River overtopped and threatened to burst through levees that protect the communities.

Residents of Elnora, a town of about 750 people, breathed a sigh of relief as the river began to slowly recede Tuesday afternoon, but fears were heightened in Plainville, about 10 miles downstream, when the Army Corps of Engineers said a levee failure was imminent.

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As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, both levees were breached but were holding back floodwaters to an extent.

The worst flooding in modern Indiana history flowed to southwestern Indiana three days after residents of central and south-central Indiana dealt with historic floodwaters not seen in at least 95 years.

"It's horrible, especially for the community and the families around here," said Elnora resident Sarah Nicholas. "I was born and raised around here and it's just horrific."

Hundreds of Marines and Indiana National Guard soldiers worked feverishly late Monday and early Tuesday to put up 150,000 sandbags and concrete barriers to hold back the river. Most Elnora residents had evacuated, but 44 people stayed behind in 19 homes.

"Water came in the town in a direction that it's never been known to," said Elnora Fire Chief Jerry Beck. "We had bulldozers running all night last night building a berm."

The levee at Plainville was breached Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for Daviess County.

If the levee were to give way, numerous homes would be threatened and there would be extensive flooding on Indiana 57.

Jerry Robinette, a 54-year-old disabled heavy equipment operator, was among those who evacuated. He spent the night on a cot in a temporary shelter at North Daviess High School.

"What are you going to do? You either get mad, sad or do something about it," Robinette said, looping his fingers in his overalls. "The house can be replaced."

Bill Plano, 50, never left his Elnora home with his six cats and 11 aquariums of fish. His brother, Jim Plano, came over from Mitchell to deliver cold drinks Tuesday.

"He's got everything he needs right now," said Jim Plano's wife, Brenda. "When he runs out, maybe that's when he'll come out."

Paul Goss, director of Daviess County Emergency Management, speculated the crest of the White River had passed Elnora during the afternoon after the high water breached a levee down river at Plainville, relieving pressure upstream.

As much as 11 inches of rain fell in parts of central and southern Indiana early Saturday morning, prompting flooding not seen in at least 95 years in the region. Three people drowned in floodwaters, and nearly a third of the state's counties were declared federal disaster areas.