Indiana, 1998Flash Flooding in Indiana, August 4 to 5, 1998
August 4 to 5, 1998 · NWS IWX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
A large upper trough was anchored over the central plains the morning of August 4th with a surface reflection across southeastern Iowa. A warm front stretched from this low across northern Indiana which provided the low level focus for shower and thunderstorm development the morning of the 4th.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.3 million
- Crop damage
- $900,000
- Events
- 4
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.
Synoptic and Mesoscale conditions for August 5th...A large upper trough was anchored over the central plains the morning of August 4th with a surface reflection across southeastern Iowa. A warm front stretched from this low across northern Indiana which provided the low level focus for shower and thunderstorm development the morning of the 4th. The airmass south of this front was tropical in nature with surface dewpoints in the middle 70s and precipitable water values from 1.75 to 2.00 inches. Mid level winds were quite weak however providing for slow storm movements and training echoes. Many locations from Laporte to Portland received from 1 to 3 inches of rain the morning of the 4th. By late afternoon a weak short wave trough ejected out of upper trough back in Iowa as a low level jet developed from Missouri into central Indiana. Showers and thunderstorms redeveloped north of the warm front once again from Huntington to Portland and remained nearly stationary through the evening. Very heavy rain fell throughout the evening and early morning hours on August 5th with many areas from Huntington to Portland reporting from 5 to 9 inches of rainfall. River flooding then occurred on the 6th and 7th along the Mississinewa...Salamonie and Wabash rivers.
Flash Flood, Grant
- When
- August 4, 5:40 PM EST to August 5, 3:25 PM EST
- Where
- Grant County, Marion
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Crop damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.516, -85.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
EXTENSIVE FLOODING THROUGHOUT MARION AND THE COUNTY. MANY ROADS AND BRIDGES UNDER WATER. NUMEROUS RESIDENCES WERE EVACUATED ALONG THE MISSISSINEWA RIVER AS ARMY NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SANDBAGGED A WEAKENING DIKE ON THE EAST SIDE OF MARION. THE DIKE HELD BUT SEVERAL HOMES SUSTAINED WATER DAMAGE.
Flash Flood, Adams
- When
- August 4, 5:40 PM EST to August 5, 12:05 PM EST
- Where
- Adams County, Decatur
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.746, -84.937 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
NUMEROUS COUNTY ROADS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY WERE INUNDATED ALONG WITH LOW LYING AGRICULTURAL FARMLANDS.
Flash Flood, Blackford
- When
- August 5, 12:00 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Blackford County, Hartford City
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.474, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
NUMEROUS COUNTY ROADS WERE FLOODED ALONG WITH AGRICULTURAL LAND.
Flash Flood, Jay
- When
- August 5, 12:00 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Jay County, Portland
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.438, -85.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
OAKWOOD MOBILE HOME PARK INUNDATED. SEVERAL RESIDENCES IN PORTLAND FLOODED. MOST RURAL COUNTY ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE HIGH WATER OVER THE ROADS.
- 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.
- Heat in California, August 4 to 6, 19981 death · 3 injured · 3 events
- Flooding in Illinois, August 4, 19981 death · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, August 4, 19981 death · 1 in hail · 2 events
- Flash Flood in Wisconsin, August 4, 1998$20,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, August 4, 1998$20,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 4, 19981 injured · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, August 4, 199861 kt wind · 5 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, August 4, 199850 kt wind · 3 events
- Flash Flooding in Michigan, August 4, 19982 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, August 4, 199850 kt wind · 2 events
- Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, August 4, 199850 kt wind · 2 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Illinois, August 4, 19981 in hail · 2 events
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: 5661874, 5661877, 5661875, 5661876.