Alert archive / Indiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 76, NWS Indianapolis, IN

September 9, 1989Parke County, Vermillion County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this flash flood warning at Sep 9, 1989, 3:18 PM EST for Parke County, Vermillion County, Indiana. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 9, 1989, 3:18 PM EST (20:18 UTC)
Expired
Sep 9, 1989, 6:15 PM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Parke County, IN, Vermillion 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 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 215 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peoria Regional, IL at 12:00Z on 1989-09-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 22 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peoria Regional, IL at 12:00Z on 1989-09-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 117 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-226 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
806 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIND 092019 RRA
FFWIND
INC121-165-092315-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
318 PM EST SAT SEP 9 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...PARKE...SOUTHERN VERMILLION
 
AT 310 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDIANAPOLIS SHOWED AN
AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF
TERRE HAUTE NEAR ROCKVILLE TO 5 MILES NORTH TERRE HAUTE.
 
MANY OF THESE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH WILL
PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.
 
AT 305 PM EST...STATE POLICE AT TERRE HAUTE REPORTED RAINFALL
REDUCING VISIBIITIES BELOW 100 FEET.
 
 
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS 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.
 
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.
PRZYBYLINSKI

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, Sep 9, 1:43 PM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
135 PM EST SAT SEP 9 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF INDIANA
   UNTIL 800 PM EST THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

AT 130 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT INDIANAPOLIS SHOWED AN
AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL
INDIANA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE NEAR
DEPHI TO 30 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE NEAR NEWPORT.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THIS AREA WAS CENTERED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF LAFAYETTE.

MANY OF THESE STORMS WILL CONTAIN BRIEF GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...HEAVY
RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DO NOT CROSS RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER.
.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
PRZYBYLINSKI
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 2:16 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
215 PM EST SAT SEP 9 1989

THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST...
AND INCLUDES THAT PART OF INDIANA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM RENNESAELER
TO DECATUR AND WEST OF A LINE FROM DECATUR...TO RUSHVILLE...TO TELL
CITY.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED ARE LAFAYETTE...INDIANAPOLIS...MUNCIE...
TERRE HAUTE...EVANSVILLE AND BLOOMINGTON.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS THAT CONDTIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
WEATHER IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

AT 200 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS...
WERE IN A 10 MILE WIDE BAND FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF PERU...TO 10 MILES
EAST OF LAFAYETTE TO 20 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE.

THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING NEAR KOKOMO...FRANKFORT...CRAWFORDSVILLE
AND ROCKVILLE BETWEEN 230 AND 300 PM.

ANOTHER 10 MILE WIDE BAND OF STORMS WAS FROM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
OF TERRE HAUTE TO 5 MILES WEST OF VINCENNES. THOSE STORMS WILL BE
MOVING NEAR SALINE CITY...DUGGER AND CARLISLE AROUND 230 PM.

DS
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 2:58 PM EST, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
255 PM EST SAT SEP 9 1989

THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST...
AND INCLUDES THAT PART OF INDIANA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM RENNESAELER
TO DECATUR AND WEST OF A LINE FROM DECATUR...TO RUSHVILLE...TO TELL
CITY.

AT 250 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS...
WERE IN A 10 MILE WIDE BAND FROM 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF PERU TO
CRAWFORDSVILLE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WERE LOCATED OVER KOKOMO
AND JUST WEST OF CRAWFORDSVILLE.

AT 235 PM EST...A AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED 35 TO 40 MPH SURFACE
WINDS AT KOKOMO AND HEAVY RAINFALL.

A SECOND AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM DANVILLE INDIANA
...ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF INDIANAPOLIS TO WASHINGTON INDIANA...
ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF TERRE HAUTE.

THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN
AREA BETWEEN 310 AND 330 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON.

MANY OF THESE STORMS WILL CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 30 TO 40 MILES
AN HOUR...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THE HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISBILITIES. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE
WITH CAUTION.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

PRZYBYLINSKI

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 8, 7:20 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningINDParke, Vermillion3 hr
Sep 9, 4:11 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHancock, Marion49 min
Sep 9, 4:19 PM ESTTornado WarningINDHamilton, Madison26 min
Sep 9, 4:36 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDShelby39 min
Sep 9, 4:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHamilton, Marion31 min
Sep 9, 4:58 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHenry, Rush32 min
Sep 9, 5:24 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDDecatur, Rush36 min
Sep 9, 5:30 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDWayne30 min
Sep 9, 5:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDRandolph31 min
Sep 9, 6:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJennings27 min
Sep 9, 6:34 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningINDBartholomew, Decatur116 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Indiana, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.