Alert archive / Indiana / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Indianapolis, IN

April 19, 1996Henry County, Rush County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this tornado warning at Apr 19, 1996, 7:41 PM EST for Henry County, Rush County, Indiana. It was in force for 64 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 19, 1996, 7:41 PM EST (00:41 UTC)
Expired
Apr 19, 1996, 8:45 PM EST
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Henry County, IN, Rush County, IN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 19, 8:02 PM ESTHail 1.75Rushville, 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, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 145 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 1996-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1144 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 1996-04-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 117 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIND 200042
TORIND
INC139-065-200145-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
741 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN CENTRAL INDIANA
 
   ...RUSH COUNTY
 
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
 
   ...HENRY COUNTY
 
AT 740 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 15 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF INDIANAPOLIS ON THE JOHNSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES NEAR
BOGGSTOWN AND HEADED TOWARD SHELBYVILLE.
 
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
 
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF A POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN AND DAMAGE IN GREENWOOD.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCE<D BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
 
LINDSEY
&

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, Apr 19, 4:39 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
INZ002>066-073-074-200400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
438 PM EST FRI APR 19 1996

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1100 PM EST...

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN INDIANA UNTIL 1100 PM EST. THE WATCH COVERS THAT PORTION OF
INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE FROM SULLIVAN TO BLOOMINGTON TO COLUMBUS TO
LAWRENCE. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH INCLUDE
INDIANAPOLIS...LAFAYETTE...TERRE HAUTE...FORT WAYNE...SOUTH BEND AND
KOKOMO.

AT 435 PM EST VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER EAST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH. THESE
STORMS WILL MOVE INTO VERMILLION...WARREN AND SOUTHERN VIGO COUNTIES
BY 500 PM EST.  VERY STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK
OF WHERE YOU MIGHT GO IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. KEEP TUNED TO
COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

LASHLEY
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 4:41 PM EST, 3 hours before
INZ002>066-073-074-200400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
440 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 YOUR HOME OR BUILDING.

AT 435 PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND
WERE MOVING TOWARD WEST CENTRAL INDIANA.

DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 19, 7:20 PM ESTTornado WarningINDHancock, Shelby55 min
Apr 19, 9:14 PM ESTTornado WarningINDFountain, Warren61 min
Apr 19, 9:24 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJohnson, Shelby51 min
Apr 19, 9:59 PM ESTTornado WarningINDKnox61 min
Apr 19, 10:47 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMarion43 min
Apr 19, 10:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDDaviess, Martin54 min
Apr 19, 10:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHamilton, Hancock, Madison48 min
Apr 19, 11:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDRush, Shelby46 min
Apr 19, 11:25 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHenry50 min
Apr 19, 11:28 PM ESTTornado WarningINDLawrence, Monroe47 min
Apr 19, 11:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDDelaware, Randolph51 min
Apr 19, 11:45 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBrown, Jackson60 min
Apr 19, 11:58 PM ESTTornado WarningINDBrown, Jackson47 min
Apr 20, 12:05 AM ESTTornado WarningINDBartholomew45 min
Apr 20, 12:13 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMartin47 min
Apr 20, 12:31 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDJennings44 min
Apr 20, 12:34 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDDecatur41 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.