Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Indianapolis, IN

March 14, 1989Jackson County, Jennings County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 14, 1989, 11:03 PM EST for Jackson County, Jennings County, Indiana. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 14, 1989, 11:03 PM EST (04:03 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 1989, 11:45 PM EST
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jackson County, IN, Jennings 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

Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 00:00Z, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 175 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 00:00Z on 1989-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 54 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, Dayton/James M C, OH at 00:00Z on 1989-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 394 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
54 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-393 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1067 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
394 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
523 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIND 150404
SVRIND
INC071-079-150445-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1103 PM EST (1003 PM CST) TUE MAR 14 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM EST (1045 PM CST)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...JACKSON
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
          ...JENNINGS
 
AT 1058 PM EST...AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR IN SEYMOUR...20 MILES SOUTH
OF COLUMBUS REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AND
WILL BE NEAR NORTH VERNON BY 1130 PM.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
DS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Mar 14, 6:07 PM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
605 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

AT 555 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A 30 TO 50 MILE WIDE BAND OF LIGHT RAIN
OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST INDIANA...FROM BLOOMINGTON TO FORT WAYNE.
A SMALLER BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS WAS OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA FROM JUST
NORTH OF LAFAYETTE TO JUST WEST OF SOUTH BEND.

THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL INDIANA...HOWEVER A LINE OF
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM NEAR GARY INDIANA TO 20 MILES
NORTHWEST OF CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE RACING NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MPH AND SHOULD
REACH NORTHWEST INDIANA FROM COVINGTON TO MOROCCO AROUND 630 PM EST.

ALLSOPP
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 6:48 PM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
645 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE
FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL
INDIANA.

AT 640 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME
EASTERN ILLINOIS ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF KENTLAND INDIANA OR ABOUT
45 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYATTE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHWEST INDIANA BEFORE 700 PM EST.

OTHER SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS EXTENDED NORTHWARD TO GARY
INDIANA.

ANOTHER AREA OF VERY LIGHT SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM BLOOMINGTON TO
THE EAST SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS TO FORT WAYNE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 7:23 PM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
720 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 715 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR LAFAYATTE TO NEAR SOUTH BEND.  THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF LAFAYATTE.

ALSO SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING IN AN AREA WHICH EXTENDED FROM
JUST SOUTH OF LAFAYATTE TO ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TERRE HAUTE.

ANOTHER AR9EA OF MOSTLY SPRINKLES EXTENDED ACROSS EASTERN INDIANA FROM
NEAR COLUMBUS TO MUNCIE TO JUST EAST OF FORT WAYNE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 7:48 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
750 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 745 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM JUST NORTH OF LAFAYATTE TO NEAR SOUTH BEND.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF LOGANSPORTE.

ALSO SCATTERED SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM NEAR TERRE HAUTE TO JUST WEST OF
INDIANAPOLIS AND NORTH TO LAFAYATTE.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDER]STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 8:33 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
830 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
NORTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
MUNCIE.

SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER NEAR CENTRAL INDIANA
THIS EVENING.

AT 825 PM EST RADAR SHOWED AN LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM JUST EAST OF SOUTH BEND TO KOKOMO...INDIANAPOLIS AND THEN
SOUTHWEST TO TERRE HAUTE AND SULLIVAN.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF TERRE HAUTE.
THE GREEN CASTLE POLICE REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF
INDIANAPOLIS AT 825 PM EST.

ALL OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:24 PM EST, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
1020 PM EST TUE MAR 14 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EST FOR EAST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN INDIANA.  THIS AREA IS EAST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES WEST
OF EVANSVILLE TO 30 MILES NORTH OF MUNCIE.

THE TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHERN INDIANA IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

AT 1010 PM EST RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
FROM NEAR RUSHVILLE TO JUST WEST OF COLUMBUS AND SOUTHWEST TO
EVANSVILLE.

AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH
WINDS NEAR SHELBYVILLE AT 1015 PM EST.  ANOTHER AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR
ALSO REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR GREENFIELD AT THIS SAME TIME.y

THESE AREAS WERE 20 TO 30 MILES EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF INDIANAPOLIS.

A PRIVATE CITIZEN ALSO REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL JUST WEST OF RICHMOND
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA AT 1020 PM EST.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.
HENDRICKSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 14, 8:56 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDPosey49 min
Mar 14, 10:26 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBartholomew, Decatur34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1989Every severe thunderstorm 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.