Flash Flood in Indiana, August 20, 1996

Name: Flash Flood in Indiana, August 20, 1996
Start: 1996-08-20T18:15
End: 1996-08-20T21:30
Location: Indiana

August 20, 1996 · NWS IWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

5 inches fell within a 6 hour period on the evening of August 20 producing widespread flooding of roads and of low lying areas in Central and Southern Steuben County. Two roads were washed out by the flash flooding, County Road 800 South west of Hamilton, Indiana and County Road 700 South between County Road 600 East and County Road 700 East.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS IWX wrote it up.

Heavy rains of 3.5 inches fell within a 6 hour period on the evening of August 20 producing widespread flooding of roads and of low lying areas in Central and Southern Steuben County. Two roads were washed out by the flash flooding, County Road 800 South west of Hamilton, Indiana and County Road 700 South between County Road 600 East and County Road 700 East. Several vehicle received water damage due to the flooding.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Steuben

When: August 20, 6:15 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Steuben County, Steuben County
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 41.644, -85.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Indiana in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, August 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5569446.