Alert archive / Indiana / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 19, NWS Indianapolis, IN

May 28, 1996Parke County, Vermillion County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this tornado warning at May 28, 1996, 2:52 PM EST for Parke County, Vermillion County, Indiana. It was in force for 68 min. 2 reports 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 28, 1996, 2:52 PM EST (19:52 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 1996, 4:00 PM EST
In force
68 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Parke County, IN, Vermillion County, IN

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:53 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 28, 3:05 PM ESTThunderstorm WindDana, IN
May 28, 3:15 PM ESTThunderstorm WindRosedale, 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

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 1996-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 277 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 1996-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 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
277 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
815 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
217 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIND 281955
TORIND
INC121-165-282100-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
252 PM EST TUE MAY 28 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA
 
   ...PARKE COUNTY...VERMILLION COUNTY
 
AT 250 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR AT INDIANAPOLIS INDICATED A POSSIBLE
TORNADO IN NORTHERN EDGAR COUNTY ILLINOIS HEADED EAST AT 30 MILES
AN HOUR TOWARD VERMILLION AND PARKE COUNTIES IN INDIANA.
 
TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE CLINTON AND ROCKVILLE.
 
 
CT
 
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 28, 12:04 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
INZ001>092-282300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1204 PM EST TUE MAY 28 1996

IN INDIANA A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EST
AND INCLUDES THAT PART OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE...AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE TO 40 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF JASPER.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED ARE LAFAYETTE...FRANKFORT...CRAWFORDSVILLE...
TERRE HAUTE...BLOOMINGTON...BEDFORD...WASHINGTON...EVANSVILLE...
AND TELL CITY.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS 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.
ELSON
Special weather statement, May 28, 12:15 PM EST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
INZ001>092-282300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1204 PM EST TUE MAY 28 1996

IN INDIANA A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EST
AND INCLUDES THAT PART OF INDIANA SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE TO 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE...AND
WEST OF LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE TO 20 MILES
EAST OF EVANSVILLE.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED ARE LAFAYETTE...CRAWFORDSVILLE...TERRE HAUTE...
WASHINGTON...EVANSVILLE...AND VINCENNES.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS 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.

ELSON
CORRECTED AREAL DEFINITION
Special weather statement, May 28, 1:48 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
INZ002>004-010>015-019>022-028>031-035>037-043>046-051>054-060>062-
067>070-076-081>089-282000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
145 PM EST TUE MAY 28 1996

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN INDIANA UNTIL
600 PM EST...

AT 140 PM EST...THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS WERE MOVING
INTO PARTS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS IN THE CHAMPAIGN
AREA WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTHERN VERMILLION...WARREN...AND BENTON
COUNTIES OF WESTERN INDIANA BEFORE 230 PM EST.

REMEMBER...A WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
WEATHER IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN WESTERN INDIANA SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT FOR STORMS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST AND LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENT OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR
R\ELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GRAY
Special weather statement, May 28, 2:38 PM EST, 14 minutes before
INZ002>004-010>015-019>022-028>030-035>037-043>046-051>054-060>062-
067>070-076-081>089-282030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
237 PM EST TUE MAY 28 1996

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN INDIANA
UNTIL 6 PM EST...

AT 230 PM EST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA BETWEEN
LAFAYETTE AND THE SOUTHERN TIP OF LAKE MICHIGAN. PEA SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED AT MOROCCO IN NEWTON COUNTY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA. NO SEVERE
WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN INDIANA.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AROUND CHAMPAIGN AND
DANVILLE WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR.
FUNNEL CLOUDS AND A POSSIBLE TORNADO WERE REPORTED FROM SOME OF THESE
STORMS JUST AFTER 2 PM EST.

THE STRONG STORMS OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST INDIANA COUNTIES OF VERMILLION...FOUNTAIN...WARREN AND
BENTON. PEOPLE IN THESE NORTHWEST INDIANA COUNTIES SHOULD STAY ALERT
TXO STORMS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.

REPORT LARGE HAIL HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND TO THE NEAREST POLICE AGENCY
FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GRAY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 3:39 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningINDVermillion66 min
May 28, 3:54 PM ESTTornado WarningINDParke51 min
May 28, 3:59 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDKnox61 min
May 28, 4:07 PM ESTTornado WarningINDPutnam68 min
May 28, 4:11 PM ESTTornado WarningINDKnox64 min
May 28, 4:23 PM ESTTornado WarningINDDaviess67 min
May 28, 4:28 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDGreene, Monroe62 min
May 28, 4:40 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHendricks, Morgan65 min
May 28, 4:50 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMartin55 min
May 28, 4:53 PM ESTTornado WarningINDHendricks, Morgan67 min
May 28, 4:59 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDShelby61 min
May 28, 5:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBrown, Jackson57 min
May 28, 5:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJohnson, Marion61 min
May 28, 5:37 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBartholomew53 min
May 28, 5:41 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJennings64 min
May 28, 5:41 PM ESTTornado WarningINDJackson49 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Indiana, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes 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.