Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Indianapolis, IN

May 15, 20094 counties in Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 2009, 6:39 PM EDT for 4 counties in Indiana. It was in force for 39 min. 1 report 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: May 15, 2009, 6:39 PM EDT (22:39 UTC)
Expired: May 15, 2009, 7:18 PM EDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Bartholomew County, IN, Decatur County, IN, Jennings County, IN, Shelby County, IN

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:41 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
May 15, 6:55 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Hope, IN	ESTIMATED 70 MPH WIND

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 one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 16 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 nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 163 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1409 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 163 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 
WUUS53 KIND 152239
SVRIND
INC005-031-079-145-152330-
/O.NEW.KIND.SV.W.0027.090515T2239Z-090515T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
639 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF COLUMBUS...
  SOUTHWESTERN DECATUR COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  SOUTHERN SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  NORTHWESTERN JENNINGS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA...

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 638 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN
  EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
  FROM TAYLORSVILLE TO ELIZABETHTOWN TO GRAMMER...AND MOVING         
  NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  NEWBERN AROUND 650 PM EDT...
  WESTPORT AROUND 655 PM EDT...
  HOPE AROUND 700 PM EDT...
  FLAT ROCK AROUND 705 PM EDT...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 68 AND 80.

LAT...LON 3927 8544 3906 8566 3922 8603 3950 8586
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 213DEG 17KT 3931 8600 3920 8582
          3911 8564

$$

SALLY

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KIND 152257
SVSIND

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
657 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

INC079-152307-
/O.CAN.KIND.SV.W.0027.000000T0000Z-090515T2330Z/
JENNINGS-
657 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN JENNINGS COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3915 8569 3934 8592 3950 8586 3927 8544
TIME...MOT...LOC 2257Z 213DEG 17KT 3945 8588 3934 8570
          3925 8552

$$

INC005-031-145-152330-
/O.CON.KIND.SV.W.0027.000000T0000Z-090515T2330Z/
BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-SHELBY-
657 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN BARTHOLOMEW...SOUTHWESTERN DECATUR AND SOUTHEASTERN
SHELBY COUNTIES...

AT 656 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE 
EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF FLAT ROCK TO GENEVA TO 
LETTS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  MILFORD AROUND 705 PM EDT...

LAT...LON 3915 8569 3934 8592 3950 8586 3927 8544
TIME...MOT...LOC 2257Z 213DEG 17KT 3945 8588 3934 8570
          3925 8552

$$
SALLY

000 
WWUS53 KIND 152318
SVSIND

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
718 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

INC005-031-145-152329-
/O.CAN.KIND.SV.W.0027.000000T0000Z-090515T2330Z/
BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-SHELBY-
718 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BARTHOLOMEW...
SOUTHWESTERN DECATUR AND SOUTHEASTERN SHELBY COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3915 8569 3934 8592 3950 8586 3927 8544
TIME...MOT...LOC 2319Z 213DEG 17KT 3954 8580 3943 8562
          3934 8544

$$

SALLY

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 May 15, 3:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 3:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
300 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

.DISCUSSION

PRIMARY CONCERN IS HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG STORM THREAT TONIGHT WHILE
BUILDING RIDGE BRINGS EXTENDED DRY PATTERN LATE SATURDAY INTO MID
WEEK AT LEAST.

QUITE ACTIVE CONVECTION ACROSS NRN IL AS WARM FRONT PUSHES NORTH
ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND INDIANA.  TEMPERATURES REACHING MID 70S
TO LOWER 80S WHILE SURFACE DEWPOINTS HAVE OR WILL CLIMB TO MID AND
UPPER 60S LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MODELS HAVE COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT AND FORECAST WILL BE A BLEND
OF THESE. ONE AREA OF DIFFERENCE HOWEVER WAS IN QPF FOR TONIGHT
WHICH HAS BEARING ON FLOOD WATCH. CHOSE TO AVERAGE GFS AND NAM QPF
AND MOS GUIDANCE DATA BRINGING FCST QPFS AROUND ONE INCH TONIGHT.

TONIGHT...SOMEWHAT MORE UNSTABLE RELATIVE TO CONDITIONS TWO NIGHTS
BACK. DYNAMICS NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS TWO NIGHTS BACK WITH STRONGEST
850MB WINDS PUSHING NORTH OF FCST AREA BEFORE STORMS ARRIVE. END
RESULT WILL STILL BE SUFFICIENT SHEAR AND INSTABILITY FOR POTENTIAL
SEVERE ESPECIALLY EARLY IN EVENT OVER OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES.
HOWEVER GIVEN MARGINAL AMOUNT OF SEVERE CONVECTION TWO DAYS BACK AND
TONIGHTS CONDITIONS SLIGHTLY LESS CONDUCIVE...ALONG WITH LATE NIGHT
LESS FAVORABLE SEVERE WEATHER TIMING...DO NOT THINK SEVERE THREAT IS
QUITE AS GREAT AS WEDNESDAY.

GIVEN DECENT INFLUX OF DEEP LAYER MOISTURE...EXPECT HEAVY RAIN TO BE
A THREAT BUT AGAIN NOT AS SERIOUS AS TWO DAYS AGO. HOWEVER...WITH
ELEVATED STREAMS AND SATURATED SOIL...FLOODING REMAINS POSSIBLE IN
HIGHEST QPF AREA CENTERED NEAR LAFAYETTE AND THUS HAVE INTRODUCED
FLOOD WATCH.

SATURDAY...MODELS MAINTAIN SOME PCPN ACROSS SOUTHERN COUNTIES DURING
MORNING AS CDFNT PUSHES ACROSS OHIO RIVER. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO
ONGOING FCST WITH THIS.  BY LATE IN DAY SATURDAY SUN SHOULD BE
SHINING IN NW COUNTIES WITH REMAINING HIGH CLOUDS THINNING AND
CLEARING IN SOUTHEAST.

SATURDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...BUILDING SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND
UPPER RIDGE TAKES CONTROL PROVIDNING DRY WEATHER.  LOW DEWPOINTS AND
LIGHT WINDS UNDER CLEAR SKIES SUNDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT MAY ALLOW FOR
A FEW LOCATIONS TO BRIEFLY TOUCH UPPER 30S THOUGH WET AND WARM
GROUND SHOULD PREVENT ANY CHANCE FOR FROST.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL HAVE PUSHED BACK
INTO GREAT LAKES WITH SYSTEMS TRAVERSING NORTH PERIPHERY OF RIDGE
FIRING CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS IN NORTHWEST FLOW.  CENTRAL INDIANA SHOULD
REMAIN ON SOUTH EDGE OF THIS STAYING DRY AND WARM BUT BEARS WATCHING
FOR INTRODUCTION OF RAIN CHANCES AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 15/1800Z TAFS

WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE SITES THIS AFTERNOON. THE
MOIST AIR BEHIND THE FRONT SHOULD ALLOW BROKEN CU TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THE AFTN WITH CIGS AROUND BKN050. SCT CONVECTION WILL FIRE
IN THE UNSTABLE ATMS. HOWEVER COVERAGE WILL BE TOO LOW TO MENTION
OTHER THAN A CB MENTION.

DIURNAL DRIVEN CONVECTION WILL DIMINISH BRIEFLY THIS EVENING...BUT
MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION WILL ARRIVE AFT 06Z AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
IN. TIMING LOOKS A BIT SLOWER THAN PREV EXPECTED SO HAVE SLOWED
TIMING DOWN BY A COUPLE OF HOURS FROM PREV FORECASTS. SINCE TSRA
STILL MORE THAN 12H OUT HAVE NOT PUT IN A TEMPO YET AS LATER
FORECASTS CAN BETTER PIN DOWN THE TIMING. MVFR CONDS WILL LIKELY
OCCUR IN ANY TSRA. AFTER FROPA CIGS WILL BECOME MVFR BY 13Z OR SO
AND SHOULD REMAIN THAT WAY THRU ABOUT THE END OF THE PD.

&&

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

&&

AVIATION...CS/CC
PUBLIC...DT

Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 3:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
355 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

INZ036>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-162000-
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-
355 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF
CENTRAL INDIANA...MAINLY NORTH OF A SULLIVAN TO NEW CASTLE LINE.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS EVENING WHILE A SOLID LINE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVES THROUGH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THE MAIN THREATS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN THAT MAY CAUSE
FLOODING. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
IN THE STRONGEST STORMS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD WITH ELEVATED FLOODING
LEVELS POSSIBLE FROM RAINS OVERNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

EXTENSIVE FLOODING ALONG THE BIG BLUE RIVER...EAST FORK WHITE
RIVER...EEL RIVER...MUSCATATUCK RIVER...WABASH RIVER...WHITE
RIVER...AND MANY SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE WEEKEND. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC STATEMENTS FOR
SPECIFIC RIVER FORECASTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

&&

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

INZ021-028>031-035-162000-
CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-
355 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS EVENING. A LINE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ARRIVE AROUND MIDNIGHT AND LAST THROUGH
DAYBREAK. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE FLOODING FROM
THE HEAVY RAINS. HAIL TO NICKEL SIZE AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD AND ELEVATED FLOODING
LEVELS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

FLOODING ALONG WABASH RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE WEEKEND. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC STATEMENTS FOR
SPECIFIC RIVER FORECASTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

&&

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

TUCEK

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 6:31 PM EDT, 8 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
631 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

INZ056-064-065-072-152315-
BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-JENNINGS-SHELBY-
631 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR BARTHOLOMEW...DECATUR...
NORTHWESTERN JENNINGS AND SOUTHEASTERN SHELBY COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM
EDT...

AT 628 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM COLUMBUS TO ELIZABETHTOWN TO COUNTRY SQUIRE
LAKES...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  NEWBERN AROUND 640 PM EDT...
  FLAT ROCK AROUND 650 PM EDT...
  LETTS AROUND 655 PM EDT...
  GENEVA AROUND 700 PM EDT...

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK FOR
MINOR LOW LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT.

SALLY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 15, 2:31 PM EDT	Flood Watch	IND	Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Tippecanoe, Warren	14 hr
May 15, 7:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IND	Hancock, Shelby	34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

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.