Alert archive / Indiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1988

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Indianapolis, IN

October 17, 1988LaPorte County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this flash flood warning at Oct 17, 1988, 7:16 PM CDT for LaPorte County, Indiana. It was in force for 119 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Oct 17, 1988, 7:16 PM CDT (00:16 UTC)
Expired: Oct 17, 1988, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 119 min
Issued by: NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area: Whole counties

County LaPorte County, IN

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 259 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 282 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 627 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 0 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.2
Supercell composite: -3.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KSBN 180017
FFWSBN
INC039-091-141-MIC021-027-149-180215-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTH BEND IN
716 PM EST (816 PM EDT) MON OCT 17 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SOUTH BEND HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM EST (1015 PM EDT)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...ELKHART...LAPORTE...ST JOSEPH
IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
          ...BERRIEN...CASS...ST JOSEPH
 
AT 7:05 PM EST...8:05 PM EDT SOUTH BEND RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW
A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING EXTREME NORTHERN
INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.
 
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS THIS REGION. NEARLY THREE
INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT MICHIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT BETWEEN 100 PM AND
700 PM EST.
 
HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT LEAST UNTIL 915 PM EST OR
1015 PM EDT.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER kCOVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
MCCLUNG

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 4:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
425 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EST FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF INDIANA.

AT 415 PM EST A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST
INDIANA...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TERRE HAUTE. THE STORM WILL MOVE
BETWEEN CARLISLE AND SULLIVAN AROUND 445 PM. THERE WILL BE BRIEF
HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. HAIL IS POSSIBLE.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CENTRAL INDIANA FROM BETWEEN HUNINGTON
AND WABASH THROUGH MARION...ANDERSON AND THE EAST SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS
TO NASHVILLE. WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR WITH THE
STORMS FROM MARION TO THE EAST SIDFE OF INDIANAPOLIS.

DS

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 5:04 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
505 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EST FOR THE
NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF INDIANA.

A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE AT
455 PM. THE STORM WILL MOVE JUST NORTH OF LAFAYETTE AND WILL BE NEAR
DELPHI BY 530 PM. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
OCUR IN THE STORM. HAIL IS POSSIBLE.

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
INDIANA FROM FORT WAYNE TO BETWEEN MUNCIE AND RICHMOND THROUGH
RUSHVILLE AND BLOOMINGTON TO BLOOMFIELD. ANOTHER AREA WAS OVER WEST
CENTRAL INDIANA FROM AROUND CRAWFORDSVILLE TO JUST SOUTH OF DtANVILLE
ILLINOIS. A THIRD AREA OF STORMS WAS FROM NEAR LAFAYETTE TO NEAR
DANVILLE ILLINOIS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR.

DS

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 5:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
540 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST.

AT 530 PM...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE...REACHED
FROM BETWEEN MUNCIE AND RICHMOND THROUGH COLUMBUS TO NEAR BEDFORD.

A SECOND AREA...ALSO ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE...WAS FROM LOGANSPORT
THROUGH CRAWFORDSVILLE AND CLINTON TO MARTINSVILLE ILLINOIS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES PER HOUR.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST THROUGH ILLINOIS AND
WILL BE INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL INDIANA EARLY THIS EVENING.

DS

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 6:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
610 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST.

AT 600 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
INDIANA. STORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE IN
AN AREA...ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE FROM KOKOMO...THROUGH LEBANON AND
GREENCASTLE TO JUST SOUTH OF TERRE HAUTE.

HEAVY RAINFALL IN PARTS OF THE INDIANAPOLIS AREA UNTIL AROUND 7 PM
...MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF UNDERPASSES AND POORLY DRAINED STREETS.

THUNDERSHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST THROUGH EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
INDIANA FROM AROUND RICHMOND TO DEPUTY.

MORE TH)UNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A COLD FRONT...MOVING EAST THROUGH
ILLINOIS. THOSE STORMS WERE JUST MOVING INTO FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA AND
WILL BE INTO WEST CENTRAL INDIANA BY 800 PM.

DS

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 6:54 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
655 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST.

AT 645 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH HEAVY RAINFALL...WERE MOVING
THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

IN CENTRAL INDIANA...AN AREA OF STORMS WAS FROM NEAR DANVILLE...SOUTH
TO SPENCER AND WORTHINGTON. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES PER
HOUR AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE INDIANAPOLIS AREA UNTIL AROUND
730 PM. SOME STREET FLOODING MAY OCCUR.

IN NORTHWEST INDIANA...AN AREA OF STORMS WAS FROM NEAR SOUTH BEND
TO OXFORD. THAT AREA WAS ALSO MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES PER HOUR AND
EXTUENDED SOUTHWEST INTO ILLINOIS.

SHOWERS WERE ALONG THE INDIANA AND OHIO BORDER...MOVING EAST.

DS

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 7:04 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
705 PM EST MON OCT 17 1988

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF INDIANA UNTIL 900 PM EST.

A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS SOUTHEAST OF INDIANAPOLIS AT 655
PM EST.

THE STORM WAS MOVING THROUGH RUSHVILLE AND WILL BE NEAR CONNERSVILLE
AROUND 730 PM. FLOODING OF STREETS AND UNDERPASSES IS POSSIBLE IN
RUSHVILLE AND CONNERSVILLE.

DS`

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Oct 17, 7:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	IND	Elkhart, Saint Joseph	119 min
Oct 17, 8:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Elkhart, Kosciusko	28 min
Oct 17, 9:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	IND	Parke	23 min
Oct 17, 10:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Marion	45 min
Oct 17, 10:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Hancock	52 min
Oct 18, 12:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Union	27 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Indiana, 1988 Every flash flood warning in 1988

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.