Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Indianapolis, IN

May 9, 1990Hendricks County, Morgan County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 1990, 10:18 PM EST for Hendricks County, Morgan County, Indiana. It was in force for 27 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 9, 1990, 10:18 PM EST (03:18 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 1990, 10:45 PM EST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hendricks County, IN, Morgan County, IN

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 9, 10:45 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 50Hendricks, IN

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 197 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 1990-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 18 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 1990-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
18 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1350 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
128 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 100321
SVRIND
INC063-109-100345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1018 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...HENDRICKS...MORGAN
 
AT 1017 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF INDIANAPOLIS. THE STORM WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS MOVING TOWARD
MOORESVILLE AND PLAINFIELD AND SHOULD REACH THOSE TOWNS BY 1040 PM.
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD MOVE AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND TO
THE LOWEST LOCATION POSSIBLE IN THEIR RESIDENCES.
 
 
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 7TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
MPD

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, May 9, 7:35 PM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes before
INZALL-100130-

PRECIPITATION NOWCAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
735 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN
INDIANA UNTIL 1 AM EST.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT TO ENTER EXTREME NORTHWEST INDIANA.

AT 725 PM EST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM ABOUT 10 MILES WEST
OF GARY TO ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS TO NEAR
CARBONDALE ILLINOIS.

THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER
HOUR WHILE THE NORTHERN PART WAS MOVING EAST AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER
SPEED. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ENTERING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF INDIANA
BY 8 PM EST...WHILE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO INDIANA NEAR
TERRE HAUTE BEFOREB 9 PM.
.
SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY HAIL...MAY ARRIVE
WITH THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

MPD
Special weather statement, May 9, 7:37 PM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
INZALL-100130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
735 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN
INDIANA UNTIL 1 AM EST.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT TO ENTER EXTREME NORTHWEST INDIANA.

AT 725 PM EST...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM ABOUT 10 MILES WEST
OF GARY TO ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS TO NEAR
CARBONDALE ILLINOIS.

THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER
HOUR WHILE THE NORTHERN PART WAS MOVING EAST AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER
SPEED. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ENTERING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF INDIANA
BY 8 PM EST...WHILE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO INDIANA NEARP
TERRE HAUTE BEFORE 9 PM.
.
SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY HAIL...MAY ARRIVE
WITH THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

MPD
CORRECTED TITLE.
Special weather statement, May 9, 8:44 PM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
INZALL-100300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
843 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN INDIANA
UNTIL 1 AM EST.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...WERE INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA AT 830 PM EST.

AT 830 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM 10 MILES EAST OF GARY TO ABOUT
45 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE TO ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
TERRE HAUTE. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR.

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE LINE HAD DISSIPATED TO LIGHT
SHOWERS. SOME OF THEM MAY MOVE INTO THE TERRE HAUTE AREA AROUND
915 PM...OTHERWISE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE
LAFAYETTE AND TERRE HAUTE AREAS BY AROUND 10 PM. THEY WILL MOVE INTO
THE INDIANAPOLIS AREA SOMETIME AROUND 1130 PM.

SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL MAY ARRIVE
WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. AREAS OF TORRENTIAL RAIN AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING ARE A CERTAINTY.

MPD
Special weather statement, May 9, 9:18 PM EST, 1 hour before
INZALL-100300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
917 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN INDIANA
UNTIL 1 AM EST.

THERE HAS BEEN A REPORT OF A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS...IN HAMILTON AND WAYNE COUNTIES AROUND 9 PM EST. THE
REPORT WAS RELAYED BY THE STATE POLICE AND OCCURRED AROUND 840 PM
EST.

AT 910 PM EST A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG THE INDIANA AND
ILLINOIS BORDER. THE MOST DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 50 MILES
NORTHWEST OF EVANSVILLE. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED WIND DAMAGE
IN HAMILTON COUNTY ILLINOIS.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE CITIES OF VINCENNES...SULLIVAN
AND CARLISE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO THE CENTER OF YOUR HOUSE
OR APARTMENT AND THE LOWEST LEVEL.
EDWARDS
Special weather statement, May 9, 10:14 PM EST, 4 minutes before
INZALL-100500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1010 PM EST WED MAY 9 1990

...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN INDIANA AT 10
PM EST...

THE LINE REACHED FROM SOUTH BEND TO LAFAYETTE TO ROCKVILLE TO JUST
WEST OF BLOOMINGTON. IT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH LOGANSPORT...
CRAWFORDSVILLE AND BLOOMINGTON BY 1030 PM...THROUGH FRANKFORT AND
GREENCASTLE BY 11 PM...AND THROUGH KOKOMO...INDIANAPOLIS AND NASHVI*LLE
BETWEEN 11 PM AND MIDNIGHT.

THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL
AND STRONG WINDS. WIND DAMAGE IS POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 1 AM. STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS DURING THE STORMS.

DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 9:10 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDGibson50 min
May 9, 9:27 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDSullivan48 min
May 9, 9:28 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDDaviess, Knox47 min
May 9, 9:45 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDClay, Greene45 min
May 9, 10:04 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMonroe, Owen26 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

Sources

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