Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, May 25 to 26, 2004

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, May 25 to 26, 2004
Start: 2004-05-25T17:00
End: 2004-05-26T04:00
Location: Indiana

May 25 to 26, 2004 · NWS PAH · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: $1.1 million
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 PAH wrote it up.

Widespread flash flooding occurred across northern Warrick and Spencer Counties. In northern Spencer County, numerous roads were closed by flooding, and some persons were rescued from stalled vehicles. About eight inches of water was over U.S. Highway 231 in Gentryville. State Highway 245 was closed at Lamar due to high water. Some flooding of a few homes was reported in Spencer County. About six inches of water entered a cabinet manufacturing facility. Significant amounts of debris washed across the property of an amusement park at Santa Claus in Spencer County, closing the park for several days. Three feet of muddy water was flowing through the park. City streets were flooded throughout Boonville. Unofficial rainfall rates (from trained spotters) were 3.2 to 3.5 inches per hour at both Tennyson in Warrick County and Santa Claus in Spencer County. A trained spotter at Mariah Hill in northern Spencer County reported 3.5 inches. In Evansville, the Virginia Street viaduct and the Ray Becker Parkway was closed.

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 1:25 PM CST, 3 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
225 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

THUNDERSTORMS HAD REDEVELOPED NORTHWEST OF THE FA EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. AIRMASS OVER OUR REGION HAD DESTABILIZED AS INDICATED BY
LAPS LI VALUES OF MINUS 5 TO MINUS 9...SO ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP OR
MOVE INTO OUR REGION WILL HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE OF A SEVERE
THREAT.  GIVEN THIS...ALONG WITH SOUTHWARD SAGGING SURFACE FRONT AND
OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM ONGOING CONVECTION... EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS
TO MOVE INTO AND INCREASE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR FA THIS
EVENING AND OVER THE REST OF THE FA MAINLY WEDNESDAY.  AS A
RESULT...WILL KEEP POPS HIGHER THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE SURFACE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN OR DIMINISH AS IT SAGS
SLOWLY SOUTH IN THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. THIS ALONG WITH SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING TO OUR NORTH SHOULD BRING A DECREASING TREND
TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BEGINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER THE
LIMITED INFLUX OF DRIER/MORE STABLE AIR ALONG WITH THE WASHING OUT
OF THE FRONT AS EVIDENCED BY REDEVELOPMENT OF A BROADSCALE SOUTHERLY
FLOW BY MIDDAY THURSDAY WILL LEND TO A CONTINUED CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK.  THE SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT (SLIGHT RISK) REMAINS IN TACT THROUGH DAY 3/FRIDAY GIVEN THE
PERSISTENT INSTABILITY.  BY FRIDAY...ETA LIFTED INDICES ARE AT A
MINIMUM THROUGH THE CURRENT MODEL RUN.

HAVE UPPED DEWPOINTS AND LOW TEMPS A BIT THE NEXT COUPLE OF NIGHTS
GIVEN LESSER SOUTHWARD PROGRESS OF DRIER AIR.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.

&&

SHANKLIN

Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 2:45 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
345 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-261000-
ALEXANDER IL-BALLARD KY-BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CALDWELL KY-
CALLOWAY KY-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARLISLE KY-CARTER MO-CHRISTIAN KY-
CRITTENDEN KY-DAVIESS KY-EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-FULTON KY-
GALLATIN IL-GIBSON IN-GRAVES KY-HAMILTON IL-HARDIN IL-HENDERSON KY-
HICKMAN KY-HOPKINS KY-JACKSON IL-JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL-
LIVINGSTON KY-LYON KY-MARSHALL KY-MASSAC IL-MCCRACKEN KY-MCLEAN KY-
MISSISSIPPI MO-MUHLENBERG KY-NEW MADRID MO-PERRY MO-PERRY IL-PIKE IN-
POPE IL-POSEY IN-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO-SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-SPENCER IN-
STODDARD MO-TODD KY-TRIGG KY-UNION KY-UNION IL-VANDERBURGH IN-
WABASH IL-WARRICK IN-WAYNE MO-WAYNE IL-WEBSTER KY-WHITE IL-
WILLIAMSON IL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SIKESTON...POPLAR BLUFF...PERRYVILLE...
CAPE GIRARDEAU...PADUCAH...OWENSBORO...MURRAY...MAYFIELD...
MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON...EVANSVILLE...HERRIN...
HARRISBURG...CARMI...CARBONDALE AND CAIRO
345 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT OVER
THE GREEN RIVER REGION OF WESTERN KENTUCKY...INCLUDING
HENDERSON...OWENSBORO AND CALHOUN.  THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE REGION.
EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE REGION
THIS EVENING WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL LIKELY WITH SOME OF
THE STORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE A THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE IS A RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE
SEVERE...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAIN
IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND MAY BE REQUESTED
AT LATER TIMES AS WELL.

SHANKLIN

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 25, 4:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
530 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0526 PM     TORNADO          THOMPSONVILLE           37.91N 88.76W
05/25/2004                   FRANKLIN           IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO ON GROUND EAST OF THOMPSONVILLE HEADING EAST.

&&

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 4:32 PM CST, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
532 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SESSER                  38.09N 89.05W
05/25/2004                   FRANKLIN           IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL VERY LARGE TREES DOWN AND UPROOTED NEAR REND
            LAKE...SOUTH OF ROUTE 154 NEAR THE GOLF COURSE. TIME
            APPROXIMATE.

&&

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 4:33 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
533 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0524 PM     FLASH FLOOD      BENTON                  38.01N 88.92W
05/25/2004                   FRANKLIN           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            8 TO 10 INCHES OF WATER OVER ROAD NEAR THE BENTON AND
            WEST CITY AREAS ALONG ROUTE 14.

&&

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 4:34 PM CST, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
534 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0519 PM     FLASH FLOOD      TAMAROA                 38.14N 89.23W
05/25/2004                   PERRY              IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STREET FLOODING IN TAMAROA...NUMBER OF STREETS CLOSED.

&&

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 4:44 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
544 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0542 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     NORRIS CITY             37.98N 88.33W
05/25/2004                   WHITE              IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY DISTRICT 19 SOUTHEAST OF NORRIS
            CITY HEADING TOWARD OMAHA ON ROUTE 1.

&&

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 4:48 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
548 PM CDT TUE MAY 25 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0548 PM     HAIL             CARMI                   38.09N 88.17W
05/25/2004  0.25 INCH        WHITE              IL   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

CW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Vanderburgh

When: May 25, 5:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Vanderburgh County, Evansville
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.025, -87.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Warrick

When: May 25, 5:37 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Warrick County, Boonville
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.092, -87.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Spencer

When: May 25, 6:10 PM CST to 8:30 PM CST
Where: Spencer County, Dale
Property damage: $1.1 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.014, -87.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Warrick

When: May 25, 8:30 PM CST to May 26, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Warrick forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.092, -87.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Spencer

When: May 25, 8:30 PM CST to May 26, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Spencer forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.014, -87.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 5399100, 5399096, 5399097, 5399098, 5399099.