High Wind in Indiana, March 9, 2002

Name: High Wind in Indiana, March 9, 2002
Start: 2002-03-09T12:00
End: 2002-03-09T14:00
Location: Indiana

March 9, 2002 · NWS IWX · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

24 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 24

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 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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 9, 10:15 AM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 10:15 AM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1015 AM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

STRONG UVM/DEEP MOISTURE RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD PREFRONTAL RAIN
THIS MORNING. BREAKS EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED BEFORE FRONT. THIS SHD
HOLD TEMPS DOWN BELOW CURRENT FORECASTS AND WL UPDATE TO LOWER.
COLD FRONT MOVG EAST AT 40 KTS ACRS CENTRAL-NE IL...ACCOMPANIED BY
LINE OF SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS 41-52KTS REPORTED. FRONT SHD REACH
SBN BY 18Z, FWA 19-20Z, AOH ARND 21Z. DOUBTFUL IF AMS WL DESTABILIZE
ENUF TO PRODUCE TSTMS ACRS OUR AREA WITH FROPA. IF NOT, WL PRBLY
HANDLE WINDS WITH FROPA/SHOWERS WITH NOWCASTS...IF SO MAY NEED
TO START ISSUING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS.

POST FRONTAL WINDS ACRS IL/IA FM M30-L40S. LATEST RUC INDICATES H85
WINDS BEHIND FRONT INCRSG THIS AFTN, SO XPC POST FRONTAL GUSTS WILL
BE HIGHER HERE THAN CURRENTLY SEEING OUT WEST.

.IWX...HIGH WIND WARNING ENTIRE CWFA THIS AFT AND EARLY TONIGHT.

JT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 9, 11:43 AM EST, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1143 AM EST SAT MAR 09 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1132 AM    1 S WOLCOTT               IN   NON TSTM WINDS
03/09/02   WHITE                          64 MPH NON TSTM WINDS.
                                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Pulaski

When: March 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.042, -86.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Starke

When: March 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Starke forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.281, -86.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cass

When: March 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.762, -86.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marshall

When: March 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.325, -86.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, White

When: March 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.750, -86.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Fulton

When: March 9, 12:35 PM EST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.047, -86.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, La Porte

When: March 9, 11:50 AM CST
Where: La Porte forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Miami

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Miami forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.770, -86.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of showers immediately ahead of the cold front. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. 3 miles north northeast of Peru, a 10 inch diameter tree was blown down onto power lines off of State Route 19, 1 mile north of US 24. A portion of the roof of the Peru Fire Department was blown off.

High Wind, Huntington

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Huntington forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.829, -85.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grant

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.516, -85.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, St. Joseph

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Wabash

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Wabash forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.846, -85.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Kosciusko

When: March 9, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Kosciusko forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Whitley

When: March 9, 1:15 PM EST to 1:30 PM EST
Where: Whitley forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.139, -85.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of showers immediately ahead of the cold front. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. A large tree was blown down onto a house in Columbia City. The wind gust was recorded 5 miles north of Columbia City by a spotter.

High Wind, Noble

When: March 9, 1:15 PM EST
Where: Noble forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.399, -85.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Elkhart

When: March 9, 1:15 PM EST
Where: Elkhart forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.597, -85.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of showers immediately ahead of the cold front. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. Power lines were taken down by a large tree being uprooted along State Route 15, just south of Goshen. In New Paris, a large tree limb was blown onto a house, breaking a portion of the roof and a gas line. No one was in the home at the time of the incident.

High Wind, Wells

When: March 9, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Wells forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.729, -85.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Blackford

When: March 9, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Blackford forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.474, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of strong convection immediately ahead of the cold front. This low topped convection, which exhibited little, if any lightning within each cell, raced east with one continuous band of strong damaging winds just ahead of the line. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. 4 miles WSW of Montpelier the roof was torn off of a double wide trailer home at the intersection of county roads 600 north and 100 east. 3 miles west of Roll a pole barn roof was blown off and across State Road 18 at County Road 350 west.

High Wind, Lagrange

When: March 9, 1:40 PM EST
Where: Lagrange forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.643, -85.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, De Kalb

When: March 9, 1:40 PM EST
Where: De Kalb forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.398, -84.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Allen

When: March 9, 1:45 PM EST
Where: Allen forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.091, -85.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of showers immediately ahead of the cold front. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. 1 mile northeast of the Fort Wayne Airport, the roof was blown off a maintenance building at a golf course. In the city of Fort Wayne, roofs were blown off of a two story home as well as a pole barn.

High Wind, Adams

When: March 9, 1:45 PM EST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.746, -84.937 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jay

When: March 9, 1:45 PM EST
Where: Jay forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.438, -85.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Steuben

When: March 9, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Steuben forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.644, -85.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Indiana in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, March 2002

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: 5281099, 5281100, 5281177, 5281178, 5281590, 5281179, 5281180, 5281181, 5281268, 5281269, 5281270, 5281271, 5281466, 5281272, 5281467, 5281589, 5281356, 5281357, 5281469, 5281588, 5281358, 5281359, 5281465, 5281468.