Boats were used to help residents evacuate their homes in northern Indiana after rainstorms sweeping across the Midwest on Wednesday combined with melting snow to flood rivers, roads and low-lying areas in several states, AP said. Authorities in Lansing, Michigan recommended the evacuation of at least six neighborhoods on Wednesday ahead of the expected cresting of the Grand River at more than three feet above flood stage. Mayor Andy Schor declared a state of emergency for the city in anticipation of flooding in residential areas. A state of emergency was also declared in a number of cities in Indiana. The National Weather Service says up to eight inches of rain have fallen in parts of northern Indiana since Monday.