Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, July 3, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, July 3, 2004
Start: 2004-07-03T14:30
End: 2004-07-03T17:25
Location: Indiana

July 3, 2004 · NWS IND · 9 events in 8 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved across central Indiana on the afternoon of 3 July 2004, bringing down trees and power lines in many areas, and producing hail to dime size in others.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 9

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.

Severe thunderstorms moved across central Indiana on the afternoon of 3 July 2004, bringing down trees and power lines in many areas, and producing hail to dime size in others.

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 Jul 3, 1:10 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 1:10 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
110 PM EST SAT JULY 3 2004

.DISCUSSION...ABBREVIATED DISCO DUE TO SVR WX.

ALL IN ALL VIGOROUS UPPER SYSTEM WILL DRAG LINE OF TSTRMS ACROSS THE
THE AREA TODAY INTO TONIGHT. WILL KEEP HIGH POPS GIVEN SETUP ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN WORDING DUE TO PRECIPITABLE WATERS AND WARM CLD
DEPTH.

SOME SMALL POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL STORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON GIVEN
EXPECTED INSTABILITY BY LATE DAY. WILL KEEP SMALL CHCS IN THE
FORECAST BUT ASIDE FROM WEAK SIGNAL OF COMPLEX ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN
IN LITTLE FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL STORMS SHOULD KEEP THE THREAT SMALL.

SFC BOUNDARY ALONG WITH INCREASING SHEAR PARAMETERS/WESTERLIES WILL
KEEP THE THREAT FOR STORMS IN THE FORECAST MON INTO TUESDAY.
GREATEST CHCS STILL APPEAR TUES TOWARD WEDS AS THE SFC COLD FRONT
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.

ALL IN ALL LITTLE CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST.

&&

.IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...TORNADO WATCH 540 FOR ALL BUT
HENRY, DELAWARE, AND RANDOLPH UNTIL 7 PM EST.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 11:20 AM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1120 AM EST SAT JUL 3 2004

INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-041100-
BARTHOLOMEW-BOONE-BROWN-CARROLL-CLAY-CLINTON-DAVIESS-DECATUR-
DELAWARE-FOUNTAIN-GREENE-HAMILTON-HANCOCK-HENDRICKS-HENRY-HOWARD-
JACKSON-JENNINGS-JOHNSON-KNOX-LAWRENCE-MADISON-MARION-MARTIN-MONROE-
MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-OWEN-PARKE-PUTNAM-RANDOLPH-RUSH-SHELBY-SULLIVAN-
TIPPECANOE-TIPTON-VERMILLION-VIGO-WARREN-
1120 AM EST SAT JUL 3 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER TODAY ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THE
STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND SMALL DIME SIZE
HAIL. LATEST INDICATIONS ALSO SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE
FOR TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY AFTER 3 PM AND MAINLY WEST OF
A KOKOMO TO COLUMBUS LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HEAVY
RAIN IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF AND WHEN SEVERE
STORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME FRAME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 3 PM TODAY...WEST OF A KOKOMO
TO COLUMBUS LINE.

&&
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT OUR WEBSITE...
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/IND

CO

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 3, 1:03 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
103 PM EST SAT JUL 3 2004

INZ021-028>031-035>040-043>048-051>057-060>065-067>072-040000-
CARROLL-HOWARD-TIPPECANOE-WARREN-CLINTON-TIPTON-MADISON-FOUNTAIN-
HAMILTON-MONTGOMERY-BOONE-VERMILLION-PARKE-HANCOCK-MARION-HENDRICKS-
PUTNAM-RUSH-SHELBY-JOHNSON-MORGAN-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-DECATUR-BARTHOLOMEW-
BROWN-MONROE-SULLIVAN-JENNINGS-GREENE-JACKSON-LAWRENCE-KNOX-MARTIN-
DAVIESS-
103 PM EST SAT JUL 3 2004

...TORNADO WATCH #540 REMAINS IN EFFECT...

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM.

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Vigo

When: July 3, 2:30 PM EST
Where: Vigo County, 4 mi SSW of Terre Haute
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.417, -87.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Parke

When: July 3, 3:20 PM EST
Where: Parke County, 3 mi N of Bridgeton
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.700, -87.183

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: July 3, 3:25 PM EST
Where: Clay County, 1 mi S of Brazil
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.517, -87.117

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When: July 3, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Putnam County, 3 mi E of Clinton Falls
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.717, -86.917

Thunderstorm Wind, Owen

When: July 3, 4:10 PM EST
Where: Owen County, Carp
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.383, -86.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Tippecanoe

When: July 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Tippecanoe County, Buck Creek
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.483, -86.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Hendricks

When: July 3, 5:02 PM EST
Where: Hendricks County, Brownsburg
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.850, -86.400

Hail, Hendricks

When: July 3, 5:18 PM EST
Where: Hendricks County, Brownsburg
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.850, -86.400

Hail, Marion

When: July 3, 5:25 PM EST
Where: Marion County, 1 mi E of Indianapolis
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 39.783, -86.133

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Indiana in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, July 2004

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: 5412721, 5412723, 5412722, 5412724, 5412725, 5412726, 5412728, 5412727, 5412729.