Indiana, 1997

Flooding in Indiana, May 31, 1997

May 31, 1997 · NWS IND · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Heavy rains brought most small streams out of their banks in east central and south central Indiana. The flooding affected agricultural bottomlands and parts of roads near the streams.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
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  • Winter weather
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  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 IND wrote it up.

Heavy rains brought most small streams out of their banks in east central and south central Indiana. The flooding affected agricultural bottomlands and parts of roads near the streams. Some crop losses likely occured but were difficult to estimate a cost. This event carried on into June 1 and will also appear there in the June Storm Data.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Hancock

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Coordinates
39.824, -85.773 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Henry

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Coordinates
39.931, -85.396 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Shelby

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates
39.524, -85.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rush

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Rush forecast zone
Coordinates
39.620, -85.466 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Bartholomew

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Bartholomew forecast zone
Coordinates
39.206, -85.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Decatur

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Coordinates
39.307, -85.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lawrence

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Coordinates
38.841, -86.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jackson

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
38.906, -86.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jennings

When
May 31, 10:50 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Jennings forecast zone
Coordinates
38.997, -85.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 1997

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: 5601370, 5601371, 5601372, 5601373, 5601374, 5601375, 5601376, 5601377, 5601378.