Flooding in Indiana, May 12 to 19, 2002

Name: Flooding in Indiana, May 12 to 19, 2002
Start: 2002-05-12T22:00
End: 2002-05-19T20:00
Location: Indiana

May 12 to 19, 2002 · NWS IND · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Flooding along White River. Numerous county roads were closed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: $500,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

Flooding along White River. Numerous county roads were closed. Agricultural, bottomlands, and some parks were flooded. In Anderson, some city streets were closed. In Noblesville, some businesses were affected, and many residences had basement flooding. Some evacutations were necessary in Morgan and Owen counties. Flood Stage: Crest: Date of Crest:Muncie 9.0 9.61 05/14Anderson Waterworks 10.0 14.94 05/13Noblesville 14.0 20.65 05/14Nora 11.0 16.57 05/14Ravenswood 6.0 10.60 05/14Indianapolis Morris 16.0 16.63 05/14Centerton 1S 12.0 17.06 05/14Spencer 14.0 22.85 05/15

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 Indianapolis, IN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 12, 3:25 PM EST, 6 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 3:25 PM EST, 6 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
325 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

FORECAST FOCUS IN RAINFALL TONIGHT AND CHANCES FOR RAIN MON-TUE.

AT 19Z COLD FRONT WAS ACROSS IL. NUMEROUS T/SHRA WERE ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA (FA). RAIN-COOLED AIR COVERED MOST OF FA WITH WARM
UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS FAR SRN FA.

MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT. AVN LOOKS OVERDONE WITH PRECIP AND TOO
FAR NORTH. WILL USE AN ETA/NGM BLEND FOR PRECIP TONIGHT...OTHERWISE
WENT WITH BLEND OF ALL MODELS.

FRONT WILL SINK SOUTH TONIGHT AS UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES. JET STREAK
WILL ADD TO THIS MIX AND HELP CREATE MORE RAIN FOR THE FA. BEST
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHERN 1/3 OF FA...BUT
NORTHERN 2/3 OF FA HAS HAD THE MOST RAIN TODAY AND WILL NOT NEED
MUCH TO CAUSE PROBLEMS. WILL THUS KEEP FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT
FOR ENTIRE FA. IF PRECIP PUSHES SOUTH QUICKLY...WATCH MAY BE NEED TO
CANCELLED EARLY IN THE NORTH. WILL NOT TIME RAIN IN MOST OF FA...BUT
WILL SAY MAINLY IN EVENING FAR NRN FA. CONCERNING TEMPS...
ETAMOS/FWC/MAV ARE SIMILAR AND LOOK REASONABLE.

ON MONDAY UPPER TROUGH EXITS FA TAKING MOST OF PRECIP BY LATE
MORNING. PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PLUS VERY COOL AIR AT 850 WILL
KEEP SKIES CLOUDY. THIS COMBINATION WILL KEEP TEMPS NEAR SIMILAR MOS
NUMBERS. FEEL THAT CLOUDS WILL BREAK ENOUGH MON NIGHT FOR PARTLY
CLOUDY SKIES.

ON TUE UPPER LOW ACROSS ERN US WILL KEEP MORE CLOUDS ACROSS EAST BUT
PTSUNNY LOOKS OK. DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR
-SHRA...SO WILL KEEP FORECAST DRY. MAV TEMPS LOOK TOO COOL SO WILL
COMPROMISE WITH WARMER FWC/ETAMOS.

.IND...FLOOD WATCH ENTIRE CWA TONIGHT...
INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 12, 7:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
718 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0715 PM    ALEXANDRIA                IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   MADISON                        NUMEROUS ROADS CLOSED
                                          WITH FLOWING WATER.
                                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, May 12, 7:34 PM EST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
734 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0732 PM    COUNTYWIDE                IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   MARTIN                         SEVERAL ROADS CLOSED
                                          DUE TO HIGH WATER.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, May 12, 9:13 PM EST, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
913 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0700 PM    COUNTYWIDE                IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   DELAWARE                       NUMEROUS STREETS
                                          FLOODED. WATER JUST
                                          STARTING TO RECEED
                                          ACROSS MOST AREAS.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT. EVENT
                                          DURATION 120 MINUTES.

Local storm report, May 12, 9:17 PM EST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
917 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0700 PM    NORTHERN PART             IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   MADISON                        NUMEROUS STREETS WATER
                                          COVERED. 4 COUNTY ROADS
                                          CLOSED. SIGNIFICANT
                                          FLOODING MAINLY NORTH
                                          OF ANDERSON. EVENT
                                          DURATION 130 MINUTES.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, May 12, 9:21 PM EST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
921 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0600 PM    COUNTYWIDE                IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   RANDOLPH                       NUMEROUS ROADS WATER
                                          COVERED, 1 WASHED OUT
                                          AND 1 CLOSED. REPORTED
                                          BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
                                          OFFICIAL. EVENT
                                          DURATION 185 MINUTES.

Local storm report, May 12, 9:26 PM EST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
926 PM EST SUN MAY 12 2002

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

0700 PM    COUNTYWIDE                IN   FLOOD
05/12/02   HAMILTON                       NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED
                                          AND SMALL STREAMS OUT
                                          OF THEIR BANKS. 4 HOMES
                                          EVACUATED IN ARCADIA.
                                          EVENT DURATION 140
                                          MINUTES. REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Owen

When: May 12, 10:00 PM EST to May 19, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Owen forecast zone
Property damage: $83,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.313, -86.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Madison

When: May 12, 11:45 PM EST to May 14, 7:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Property damage: $83,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.162, -85.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hamilton

When: May 13, 12:30 AM EST to May 16, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Property damage: $84,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.073, -86.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Morgan

When: May 13, 1:00 AM EST to May 17, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Property damage: $83,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.482, -86.446 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Marion

When: May 13, 3:45 AM EST to May 16, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $84,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.782, -86.138 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Delaware

When: May 13, 6:15 AM EST to May 14, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Delaware forecast zone
Property damage: $83,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.228, -85.397 (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

Every storm in Indiana in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 5296346, 5296342, 5296343, 5296345, 5296344, 5296341.