Indiana, 2001

Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Indiana, June 11 to 12, 2001

June 11 to 12, 2001 · NWS LOT · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

A large bow echo moved southeast from Wisconsin, across northeast Illinois and then into far northwest Indiana late on Monday June 11th and early on June 12th. Wind speeds were estimated as high as 70 mph in the city of Valparaiso.

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.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$55,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 LOT wrote it up.

A large bow echo moved southeast from Wisconsin, across northeast Illinois and then into far northwest Indiana late on Monday June 11th and early on June 12th. Wind speeds were estimated as high as 70 mph in the city of Valparaiso. Trees and power lines were blown down across all of Porter, Lake and Newton counties. Five trees were blown down in Rensselaer in Jasper county. A first story bedroom was demolished by a four foot diameter tree that was blown down onto the house in Valparaiso in Porter county at 2340 CST. Two parked cars were hit by falling limbs in Valparaiso at 2345 CST, but only received minor damage. A tree was struck by lightning in Chesterton in Porter county at 2350 CST, but caused no damage. Over 10,000 customers were reported to have lost their power across northwest Indiana.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 11, 8:18 PM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 11, 8:18 PM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
918 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2001

ZONES UPDATED TO REFLECT SE TURN OF DEVELOPING BOW ECHO OVER C
WISCONSIN. STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO TURN SE AND MOVE ALONG/JUST NORTH
OF WARM FRONT AT 9 PM FROM AROUND LSE-JVL-ARR-VPZ. VERY UNSTABLE ON
WARM SIDE WITH 8 PM CAPES OVER 4000 AND SE SFC-6KM SHEAR VECTOR OF 65
KTS OVER SW WI. CORFIDI VECTORS SHOWED THIS TURN NICELY. IMMEDIATE
LAKE SHORE MAgY BE STABILIZED A BIT BY LAKE BREEZE.

AF

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lake

When
June 11, 11:30 PM CST to June 12, 12:05 AM CST
Where
Lake County, Countywide
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.433, -87.383

Thunderstorm Wind, Porter

When
June 11, 11:40 PM CST to June 12, 12:02 AM CST
Where
Porter County, Countywide
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$55,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.433, -87.067

Lightning, Porter

When
June 11, 11:50 PM CST
Where
Porter County, Chesterton
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.509, -87.073 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When
June 12, 12:20 AM CST
Where
Jasper County, Rensselaer
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
40.933, -87.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Newton

When
June 12, 12:25 AM CST
Where
Newton County, Countywide
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.983, -87.367

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, June 2001

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: 5255586, 5255583, 5255587, 5255584, 5255585.