Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Indianapolis, IN
NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1996, 12:31 AM EST for Jennings County, Indiana. It was in force for 44 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
- Apr 20, 1996, 12:31 AM EST (05:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 20, 1996, 1:15 AM EST
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Indianapolis, IN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jennings County, IN
The radar
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:34 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 12:33 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | Lovett, 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 165 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1144 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 991 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 117 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 276 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.1
- Supercell composite
- 4.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KIND 200532 SVRIND INC079-200615- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1231 AM EST SAT APR 20 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 115 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA ...JENNINGS COUNTY AT 1230 PM EST DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM COLUMBUS TO SEYMOUR. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL REACH GREENSBURG AND NORTH VERNON BY 100 AM. EXPECT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...POSSIBLE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL WITH THESE STORMS. PONDING OF WATER AND FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE. 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. LASHLEY
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, Apr 19, 8:19 PM EST, 4 hours 12 minutes before
INZ002>066-073-074-200230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 820 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 1100 PM EST/CDT... THE WATCH IS NORTH OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SULLIVAN TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF LAWRENCEBURG. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE SOUTH BEND...FORT WAYNE...LAFAYETTE...TERRE HAUTE...INDIANAPOLIS... RICHMOND...BLOOMINGTON AND COLUMBUS. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. REVIEW PLANS FOR YOUR SAFETY NOW. THE SAFEST PLACE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUJR HOME OR BUILDING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH EAST CENTRAL INDIANA AT 815 PM. OTHER STORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA AND WERE JUST SOUTHWEST OF TERRE HAUTE AND MOVING TOWARD TERRE HAUTE. DS
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 8:43 PM EST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
INZ002>066-072>075-200900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 841 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 400 AM EST... A NEW TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN INDIANA. THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 188. THE WATCH IS NORTH OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SULLIVAN TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF LAWRENCEBURG...AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES SOUTH OF SOUTH BEND TO 5 MILES SOUTH OF ANGOLA. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE...FORT WAYNE...LAFAYETTE...TERRE HAUTE...INDIANAPOLIS... RICHMOND...BLOOMINGTON AND COLUMBUS. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. REVIEW PLANS FOR YOUR SAFETY NOW. THE SAFEST PLACE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. AT 840 PM EST...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WERE MOVING TOWARD WEST CENTRAL INDIANA. THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES ACROSS ILLINOIS THIS EVENING. LASHLEY
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 9:16 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
INZ002-003-008>089-200900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 907 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTH INDIANA UNTIL 400 AM... THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH INDIANA CONTINUES UNTIL 400 AM...SO ALL BUT A SMALL PART OF INDIANA IS COVERED BY TORNADO WATCHES UNTIL 400 AM. THE SMALL PART NOT COVERED IS FROM SOUTH BEND TO ANGOLA. AT 910 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST. IN THE EAST CENTRAL THE STORMS WERE BETWEEN MUNCIE AND RICHMOND. IN THE SOUTHWEST THEY WERE BETWEEN TERRE HAUTE AND VINCENNES. STORMS IN THE NORTHWEST EXTENDED FROM WEST OF LAFAYETTE TO SOUTH OF SOUTH BEND. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE. DS
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 10:41 PM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
INZ002-003-008>089-200430- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1038 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996 ...TORNADO WATCHES COVER NEARLY ALL OF INDIANA UNTIL 400 AM... AT 1030 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTH AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA. OVER NORTH INDIANA THE STORMS WERE MOSTLY FROM AROUND LAFAYETTE TO NORTH OF FORT WAYNE. THEY WERE MOVING NORTHEAST. SOUTHWEST INDIANA STORMS REACHED FROM AROUND VINCENNES THROUGH BLOOMINGTON TO JUSTJ SOUTHWEST OF INDIANAPOLIS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST. WINDS GUSTING TO 45 TO 55 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED AHEAD OF THOSE STORMS... AS FAR NORTHEAST AS INDIANAPOLIS WHERE WINDS GUSTED TO MORE THAN 50 MPH JUST AFTER 1030 PM. DS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 7:20 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Hancock, Shelby | 55 min |
| Apr 19, 7:41 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Henry, Rush | 64 min |
| Apr 19, 9:14 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Fountain, Warren | 61 min |
| Apr 19, 9:24 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Johnson, Shelby | 51 min |
| Apr 19, 9:59 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Knox | 61 min |
| Apr 19, 10:47 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Marion | 43 min |
| Apr 19, 10:51 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Daviess, Martin | 54 min |
| Apr 19, 10:57 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Hamilton, Hancock, Madison | 48 min |
| Apr 19, 11:14 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Rush, Shelby | 46 min |
| Apr 19, 11:25 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Henry | 50 min |
| Apr 19, 11:28 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Lawrence, Monroe | 47 min |
| Apr 19, 11:39 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Delaware, Randolph | 51 min |
| Apr 19, 11:45 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Brown, Jackson | 60 min |
| Apr 19, 11:58 PM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Brown, Jackson | 47 min |
| Apr 20, 12:05 AM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Bartholomew | 45 min |
| Apr 20, 12:13 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Martin | 47 min |
| Apr 20, 12:34 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Decatur | 41 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.