16 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Jul 21, 2:10 PM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 210 PM EST WED JUL 21 2004 .SHORT TERM... TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. MAIN CHALLENGE LIES WITH CONVECTION CHANCES TONIGHT. INITIAL BOUNDARY FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION IS MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH LITTLE MORE THAN A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS MICHIGAN. PLENTY OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE JUST TO THE WEST WITH LIS -9 TO -11 AND CAPES 3K TO 4K J/KG. VIS SAT SHOWS ANOTHER OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM EASTERN WISCONSIN TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS...JUST TO THE WEST OF THE INSTABILITY AXIS. THIS MAY END UP BEING THE FOCUS FOR THE EXPECTED LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. MAIN LIMITING FACTOR HAS BEEN STRONG CAP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA (SEE 18Z KILX AND KDVN SOUNDINGS). MODELS SHOW THIS CAP BEING ELIMINATED AS SLIGHTLY COOLER 850 MB TEMPS AND APPROACHING SHORTWAVE/MCV MOVE IN. AREA UNDER A MDT RISK FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH WIND PROFILES TO THE WEST STARTING TO LOOK MORE FAVORABLE FOR DAMAGING WINDS. EXPECTING NEW WATCH FOR THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. HAVE ADJUSTED TIMING OF PRECIP SOMEWHAT WITH LIKELY POPS WEST TO START SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT THEN BACK TO CHC POPS BEHIND THE MAIN LINE FOR ANYTHING LINGERING. WITH PWATS NEAR 2 TO THE WEST EXPECTED TO MOVE IN...HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO A GOOD BET. LOWS WILL FALL BACK INTO THE LOWER 70S AS DRIER AIR DOESNT START MOVING IN TILL EARLY THURSDAY. MUCH OF THURSDAY COULD BE DRY IN SUBSIDENCE BEHIND TONIGHTS SYSTEM. MODELS HINT AT NEXT WAVE TO MOVE IN TOWARDS EVE FOR ANOTHER CHANCE OF PRECIP. WILL GO WITH 30 POPS ALL AREAS FOR THURS FOR NOW AND LET OVERNIGHT CREW MAKE CHANGES BASED ON FRONTAL POSITION. WITH 850 MB TEMPS STILL EXPECTED +19 TO +20...HIGHS SHOULD MAKE IT INTO THE UPR 80S. && .LONG TERM... SOME CHANGES TO EXTENDED BASED ON LATEST MODEL RUNS. TEMPERATURES LOOK GOOD AND FEW CHANGES MADE THERE. FORECAST CHALLENGE IS WITH POPS FRIDAY THEN AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. FRONT TO PUSH THROUGH THURSDAY BUT MODELS HINTING AS AN MCS DEVELOPING ON NORTH SIDE OF FRONT THURSDAY NIGHT AND MOVING ALONG FRONT FRIDAY. LATEST ETA40 SHOWS ALL ACTIVITY SOUTH OF OUR AREA BY 12Z FRIDAY WITH DRY NORTHEAST FLOW BEHIND. LEANING TOWARD THIS SOLUTION AS IT MATCHES CURRENT GRIDS AND SEEMS PLAUSIBLE AT THIS POINT. THUS NO ADDITIONAL POPS FOR FRI. GFS AND ECMWF AS WELL AS UKMO AGREE ON INVERTED TROUGH OVER OUR AREA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT WITH A COUPLE OF POSSIBLE WAVES RIDING NORTH ALONG FRONT. SURFACE TROUGH IS NEAR OUR EASTERN AREAS BUT UPPER TROUGH STILL TO OUR WEST AND SLIGHTLY DIGGING. THUS SURFACE TROUGH COULD END UP FARTHER WEST AND ANY PCPN MOVING NORTH OUT OF OPEN GULF AND ATLANTIC COULD BE DRAWN FARTHER WEST. THUS WILL NOT TRY AND DIFFERENTIATE ACROSS THE AREA AND ADD POPS TO ENTIRE FORECAST AREA AT THIS TIME WITH PRETTY GOOD MEDIUM RANGE MODEL AGREEMENT. && .AVIATION... TOUGH FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS AS INITIAL LINE OF CONVECTION HAS WEAKENED...BUT OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM IT IS NOW INTERACTING WITH VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE NEAR KSBN. STILL A CHANCE THAT SOMETHING COULD FIRE ALONG THIS AND HEAD EAST. CONFIDENCE LOW AT THIS TIME SO NO MENTION OF PRECIP THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER SHOT AT PRECIP LOOKS TO MOVE IN THIS EVENING WITH MCV IN MN/IA AT THIS TIME. LOTS OF UNCERTANTITY WITH THIS AS WELL DEPENDING ON ANY AFTERNOON CONVECTION ACROSS THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH MENTION OF VCTS FOR SEVERAL HOURS AS BETTER DYNAMICS MOVE IN. LATER FORECASTS CAN HOPEFULLY FINE TUNE THINGS BETTER. WILL KEEP VFR SKIES/VSBYS BUT LOCAL MVFR/IFR WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY CONVECTION THAT CAN FORM. STRONG WINDS EXCEEDING 50 KTS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...BUT AGAIN CONFIDENCE TOO LOW TO PLACE IN TAFS. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. && FISHER/LASHLEY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 1128 AM EST WED JUL 21 2004 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-221100- ADAMS IN-ALLEN OH-ALLEN IN-BERRIEN MI-BLACKFORD IN-BRANCH MI-CASS MI- CASS IN-DE KALB IN-DEFIANCE OH-ELKHART IN-FULTON OH-FULTON IN- GRANT IN-HENRY OH-HILLSDALE MI-HUNTINGTON IN-JAY IN-KOSCIUSKO IN- LA PORTE IN-LAGRANGE IN-MARSHALL IN-MIAMI IN-NOBLE IN-PAULDING OH- PULASKI IN-PUTNAM OH-ST. JOSEPH MI-ST. JOSEPH IN-STARKE IN- STEUBEN IN-VAN WERT OH-WABASH IN-WELLS IN-WHITE IN-WHITLEY IN- WILLIAMS OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANGOLA...ARCHBOLD...AUBURN... BENTON HARBOR...BENTON HEIGHTS...BERNE...BLUFFTON...BREMEN...BRYAN... BUCHANAN...BUTLER...COLDWATER...COLUMBIA CITY...DECATUR...DEFIANCE... DELPHOS...DOWAGIAC...DUNKIRK...DUNLAP...ELKHART...FAIR PLAIN... FAIRMOUNT...FORT SHAWNEE...FORT WAYNE...GARRETT...GAS CITY... GEORGETOWN...GOSHEN...GRANGER...GRISSOM AFB...GULIVOIRE PARK... HARTFORD CITY...HICKSVILLE...HILLSDALE...HUNTINGTON...KENDALLVILLE... KNOX...LA PORTE...LAGRANGE...LIGONIER...LIMA...LOGANSPORT...MARION... MICHIGAN CITY...MISHAWAKA...MONTICELLO...MONTPELIER...NAPOLEON... NAPPANEE...NEW HAVEN...NILES...NORTH MANCHESTER...OSSIAN...OTTAWA... PERU...PLYMOUTH...PORTLAND...ROCHESTER...SIMONTON LAKE... SOUTH BEND...ST. JOSEPH...STURGIS...SWANTON...SYRACUSE... THREE RIVERS...TRAIL CREEK...TRI-LAKES...UPLAND...VAN WERT... WABASH...WARSAW...WAUSEON...WESTVILLE...WINAMAC AND WINONA LAKE 1128 AM EST WED JUL 21 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN INDIANA...NORTHWEST OHIO AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE GREATEST THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...WHICH COULD EXCEED 70 MPH IN SOME AREAS. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS...CAUSING PONDING OF WATER IN LOW AREAS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. IN ADVANCE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS...THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CREATE HEAT INDEX VALUES APPROACHING 100 DEGREES IN SOME AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/IWX
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:48 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Michigan City Lighthouse recorded a wind gust of 75 mph.
Numerous trees and power lines knocked down over the northern part of the county.
Numerous trees and power lines reported knocked down.
Damage to roof of city of Elkhart street department building.
Two trees reported knocked down, blocking Capital Street,
Numerous power lines reported down.
Trees and power lines down.
20 inch diameter tree reported knocked down along Highway 24.
Large tree limbs down on State Route 5, blocking the road.
Several large trees were knocked down around Oliver Lake. An 18 inch diameter apple tree was uprooted on the west side of the lake. An 20 inch diameter tree was knocked down onto a pontoon and lift and a 31 inch diameter tree was snapped at the base, with an aluminum flag pole being snapped off. Damage amount estimated.
Large branches were blown down. Spotter measured 60 mph wind gust.
Trees reported knocked down.
Trees reported knocked down.
Trees reported knocked down. Power lines also reported down.
Trees reported knocked down.
Three dozen trees knocked down and some reported blocking roads near Route 24. Tree fell on trailer in France Park Campground. County EM estimated 60 to 70 mph winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2004
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: 5411998, 5411999, 5412000, 5412001, 5412002, 5412003, 5412004, 5412005, 5412006, 5412007, 5412008, 5412070, 5412071, 5412073, 5412072, 5412074.