Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 189, NWS Indianapolis, IN

July 20, 2008Johnson County, Marion County, Morgan County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 2008, 5:28 PM EDT for Johnson County, Marion County, Morgan County, Indiana. It was in force for 47 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 20, 2008, 5:28 PM EDT (21:28 UTC)
Expired: Jul 20, 2008, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Johnson County, IN, Marion County, IN, Morgan County, IN

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:31 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
Jul 20, 5:40 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	6 Ssw Martinsville, IN	MULTIPLE TREES AND BRANCHES DOWN AND CURRENTLY COMING DOWN
Jul 20, 5:40 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Martinsville, IN	TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE.
Jul 20, 5:42 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Greenwood, IN	TEN INCH DIAMETER TREE SNAPPED OFF ON SOUTHEAST SIDE OF CITY.
Jul 20, 5:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Bargersville, IN	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY
Jul 20, 5:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Franklin, IN	POWER LINES...TREES...AND TREE LIMBS DOWN. TREE BLOCKING ROAD NEAR BANA AND BRECKENRIDGE.
Jul 20, 6:02 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Franklin, IN	LARGE TREE DOWN OVER GRAHAM ROAD

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 6 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 12 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 20, 3:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 209 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 525 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1168 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 97 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 135 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KIND 202128
SVRIND
INC081-097-109-202215-
/O.NEW.KIND.SV.W.0189.080720T2128Z-080720T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
528 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  JOHNSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  MARION COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS...
  EASTERN MORGAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 527 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MOORESVILLE...OR 12 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF INDIANAPOLIS...AND MOVING EAST AT 29 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SPRING HILL BY 535 PM EDT...
  INDIANAPOLIS BY 540 PM EDT...
  SOUTHPORT BY 545 PM EDT...
  GREENWOOD BY 550 PM EDT...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 93 AND 121.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 69 AND 92.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 70 AND 99.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3934 8611 3933 8656 3963 8640 3963 8633
      3985 8634 3984 8597 3965 8597
TIME...MOT...LOC 2128Z 283DEG 25KT 3964 8629

$$

AB

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KIND 202140
SVSIND

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
540 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

INC081-097-109-202215-
/O.CON.KIND.SV.W.0189.000000T0000Z-080720T2215Z/
JOHNSON-MARION-MORGAN-
540 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT
FOR EASTERN MORGAN...JOHNSON AND MARION COUNTIES...

AT 536 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING 
WINDS.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HOMECROFT...OR 
11 MILES SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS...MOVING EAST AT 29 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SOUTHPORT BY 545 PM EDT...
  GREENWOOD BY 550 PM EDT...
  WHITELAND BY 555 PM EDT...
  FRANKLIN BY 600 PM EDT...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3934 8611 3933 8656 3963 8640 3963 8633
      3985 8634 3984 8597 3965 8597
TIME...MOT...LOC 2140Z 283DEG 25KT 3962 8618

$$

AB

000 
WWUS53 KIND 202155
SVSIND

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
555 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

INC081-097-109-202215-
/O.CON.KIND.SV.W.0189.000000T0000Z-080720T2215Z/
JOHNSON-MARION-MORGAN-
554 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT
FOR EASTERN MORGAN...JOHNSON AND MARION COUNTIES...

AT 550 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS REPORTED CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS 
A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR 
GREENWOOD...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS...MOVING EAST AT 29 
MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  FRANKLIN BY 600 PM EDT...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3934 8611 3933 8656 3963 8640 3963 8633
      3985 8634 3984 8597 3965 8597
TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 283DEG 25KT 3960 8606

$$

BROOKS

000 
WWUS53 KIND 202211
SVSIND

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
611 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

INC081-097-109-202220-
/O.EXP.KIND.SV.W.0189.000000T0000Z-080720T2215Z/
JOHNSON-MARION-MORGAN-
610 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN MORGAN...JOHNSON AND 
MARION COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 615 PM EDT...

LAT...LON 3934 8611 3933 8656 3963 8640 3963 8633
      3985 8634 3984 8597 3965 8597
TIME...MOT...LOC 2210Z 283DEG 25KT 3957 8592

$$

BROOKS

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.

NWS Indianapolis, IN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 20, 2:43 PM EDT, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 2:43 PM EDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
243 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

.DISCUSSION...

FORECAST FOCUS IS ON CHANCES FOR RAIN THROUGH MID WEEK.

AT 18Z A SFC BOUNDARY EXTENDED ACRS NRN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL IN INTO
IL. SCT TSRA WERE FIRING ALONG THIS BOUNDARY AS WELL AS POPPING UP
ACRS REMAINDER OF FORECAST AREA /FA/ DUE TO UNSTABLE ATMS. TSRA WERE
ALSO TRYING TO GET GOING IN WRN IA.

MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT. NO ONE MODEL IS DOING GREAT WITH
CONVECTION BUT THE MODELS MAIN MASS FIELDS ARE SIMILAR. WILL USE A
BLEND...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW DUE TO UNCERTAINTY OF MCS DEVELOPMENT
WHICH OFTEN ARE NOT HANDLED WELL BY MODELS.

EXPECT SCT TSRA TO CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING WITH BOUNDARY IN THE
AREA AND CONTINUED UNSTABLE ATMS. WILL CONTINUE CHC POPS THIS
EVENING. MEANWHILE...STRONG WARM ADVECTION BEGINS ALOFT ACROSS NE/IA
WHICH SHOULD FIRE ANOTHER MCS. THIS MCS WILL TRACK TOWARD THE FA
OVERNIGHT. SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER IT WILL MAKE IT TO THE FA BY
12Z. THUS AM NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH FOR LIKELY POPS OVERNIGHT. WENT
HIGH CHANCE POPS NW FA OVERNIGHT /CLOSEST TO POTENTIAL MCS TRACK/
WITH LOWEST POPS SE FA /FARTHEST AWAY FROM POTENTIAL MCS TRACK/.
THESE ARE STILL HIGHER THAN MOS WHICH ATTM DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT
HANDLES THE SITUATION WELL. WITH CLOUDS AROUND AND A CONTINUED HUMID
AIRMASS...FEEL THAT MAV TEMPS ARE TOO COOL. BLENDED MAV WITH THE
WARMER MET VALUES.

ON MON REMNANTS OF MCS MAY BE MOVING ACROSS FA DURING THE
MORNING...WITH MORE SCT STORMS FIRING IN THE AFTN ALONG REMNANT
BOUNDARIES. WITH TIMING AND COVERAGE UNCERTAIN...KEPT CHANCE POPS
ALL DAY. MAV TEMPS LOOK TOO WARM GIVEN CLOUDS AND TSRA AROUND. WENT
CLOSER TO MET NUMBERS.

UPPER TROF WILL DIG SW INTO THE AREA MON NIGHT INTO TUE AND BRING
COOLER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE AREA BY WED. TSRA THREAT WILL CONTINUE
MON NIGHT AND TUE ACROSS ENTIRE FA AS ANOTHER MCS MAY RIDE ACROSS
SRN FA. BELIEVE ENUF DRIER AIR WILL WORK INTO NRN FA TO END RAIN
THREAT THERE BY TUE AFTN. ENDED RAIN REMAINDER OF FA BY TUE NIGHT.
GFS IS A BIT STRONGER WITH UPPER LOW AND KEEPS RAIN THREAT INTO
WED...BUT IT IS AN OUTLIER ATTM SO WILL CONTINUE DRY FORECAST WED.

NEXT WAVE WILL IMPACT FA THU NIGHT INTO FRI SO CONTINUED LOW CHC
POPS THEN. REMOVED POPS ON THU AS TIMING NOW APPEARS TO BE THU NIGHT.

&&

.AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 18Z TAFS

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING NEAR A CD
FRONT FROM JUST SOUTH OF KCHI TO KMLI. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
MAY MOVE NEAR OR ACROSS THE KLAF AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE
FORECAST IS MORE MUDDLED AS MODELS ARE FORECASTING A QUIET PATTERN
BUT WITH A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND A COLD FRONT DRIFTING SOUTH
ACROSS OUR AREA.

I CANNOT RULE OUT A THUNDERSTORM ANYWHERE...BUT UNTIL LATE TONIGHT
ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROBABLY BE ISOLATED SO WILL LEAVE OUT OF
TAFS FOR NOW.  THERE IS GOOD LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ACROSS IOWA AND
AND ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL LIKELY DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND
MOVE OUR WAY BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THUS WILL INCREASE MENTION OF
THUNDERSTORMS DESPITE WHAT MODELS ARE FORECASTING BY MONDAY.

&&

.IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

AVIATION...JH
PUBLIC...CS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 3:23 PM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
323 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-211930-
CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-
BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE-
PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-
JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-
DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS-
323 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. SEVERE
STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT.
HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY AS
A COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN HAZARD
MONDAY ALSO APPEARS TO BE DAMAGING WINDS. DO NOT FORGET THAT CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A THREAT WITH ANY STORM.

STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND AGAIN NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT AND
FRIDAY. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED INTO THIS EVENING AND MAY BE
NEEDED AGAIN LATER MONDAY.

&&

MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND
CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL
LOWERCASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:46 PM EDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
446 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0415 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CAYUGA                  39.95N 87.46W
07/20/2008                   VERMILLION         IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER LINES DOWN

&&

HEROLD

Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:48 PM EDT, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
448 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0443 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ROCKVILLE               39.77N 87.23W
07/20/2008                   PARKE              IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN

&&

HEROLD

Local storm report, Jul 20, 5:12 PM EDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
512 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BROWNSBURG              39.84N 86.39W
07/20/2008                   HENDRICKS          IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE DOWN ONTO US136 BLOCKING EASTBOUND LANE...MINOR
            DAMAGE TO CHIMNEY AND SIDING OF HOUSE

&&

HEROLD

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 20, 4:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Fountain, Parke, Vermillion	45 min
Jul 20, 4:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Clay, Parke, Putnam	24 min
Jul 20, 4:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Hendricks, Putnam	52 min
Jul 20, 5:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Hendricks, Morgan, Owen, Putnam	31 min
Jul 20, 5:38 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	IND	Decatur, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and 3 more	3 hr
Jul 20, 5:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Bartholomew, Brown, Johnson, Shelby	38 min
Jul 20, 6:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Decatur, Rush	49 min
Jul 20, 6:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Monroe	25 min
Jul 20, 6:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Jackson, Jennings	46 min
Jul 20, 7:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Jackson	30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.