15 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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, 2:30 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 230 PM EST THU JUL 21 2005 .SHORT TERM... TONIGHT AND FRIDAY... MAIN CHALLENGE WILL REVOLVE AROUND CONVECTION CHANCES TONIGHT AND ASSOCIATED RISKS FOR SVR WX AND HEAVY RAIN. NAM/GFS/RUC HAVE DONE A POOR JOB OF EVEN SHOWING THE ONGOING CONVECTION NOW MOVING ACROSS WESTERN LWR MI. AS A RESULT...SOME CONFIDENCE LOST IN MODELS. HOWEVER...THEY HAVE SHOWN FAIRLY WELL THE EXTREMELY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA WITH LIS AVERAGING FROM -10 TO AS HIGH AS -13 C IN WESTERN INDIANA AND MUCH OF ILLINOIS AS TEMPS CLIMB CLOSE TO OR IN THE 90S AND SFC DEWPTS AOA 70 WITH SOME LOCATION IN ILLINOIS SHOWING MID-UPR 70S DEWPTS. CAPES WELL OVER 3000 J/KG AS WELL. STG 700 MB CAP (SEEN ON 18Z ILX SOUNDING) IN PLACE HELPING TO HOLD OFF MUCH OF THE CONVECTION...BUT COMBINATION OF LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARY AS WELL AS OTHER BOUNDARIES IN THE AREA HAVE RESULTED IN ONE STORM THAT RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER CHICAGO AND IS NOW MOVING OVER THE LAKE. AS SHORTWAVE/MCVS MOVE INTO THE AREA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...CAP SHOULD ERODE ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS. WITH INSTABILITY IN PLACE...STORMS SHOULD QUICKLY BECOME RATHER STRONG IF NOT SEVERE IN SOME AREAS. SEVERE THREAT MAY BE CONFINED TO THIS EVENING WITH ACTIVITY TRANSITIONING TO MORE OF A HEAVY RAIN THREAT OVERNIGHT ONCE AGAIN. BOTH GFS AND NAM GO CRAZY WITH QPF TONIGHT WILL BULLSEYE OF NEARLY 7 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN CWA BY 06Z/FRI. NAM NOT AS HIGH AND A BIT MORE REASONABLE BUT STILL SHOWING 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE. GIVEN WHAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT AS WELL AS BOUNDARY SINKING SOUTH THROUGH MI AND DECENT 850 JET TO SET UP ALL PROVIDING A GOOD FOCUS FOR REDEVELOPMENT. EVEN WITH GUIDANCE SHOWING LIKELY TO CAT POPS TONIGHT ALL AREAS...WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT BEFORE GOING TO LIKELY/NUMEROUS MENTION. WILL MAKE LAST SECOND CALL ON ZONES DEPENDING ON TRENDS. ANOTHER WARM AND MUGGY NIGHT IN STORE WITH LOWS AROUND 70. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SLOWLY BE SINKING SOUTH LATER TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...USHERING IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF DRY AIR. QUESTION IS HOW FAR SOUTH THIS DRIER AIR MAKES IT ON FRIDAY. WITH UNCERTANTITY ALREADY IN PLACE REGARDING EFFECTS OF CONVECTION TONIGHT...HAVE OPTED TO LEAVE FRIDAY FORECAST INTACT AND LET MIDNIGHT SHIFT TAKE A LOOK AT FRONTAL POSITION AND POTENTIAL LINGERING PRECIP ALONG/SOUTH OF IT. HIGHS OF UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 SUPPORTED ONCE AGAIN BY HOPEFULLY A GOOD DEAL OF SUN AS WELL AS 850 MB TEMPS OF +18 TO +20. TEMPS MAY NEED TO BE LOWERED AT BENTON HARBOR IF LIGHT NE WIND CAN DEVELOP AND ALLOW FOR LAKE BREEZE AND COOLER TEMPS. HAVE LEFT ALONE FOR NOW. && .LONG TERM... FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... FORECAST PERIOD BEGINS WITH DRIER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES AREA. BOTH GFS AND NAM HAVE DEWPOINTS DROPPING TO AROUND 60F BY 12Z SAT OVER MOST OF THE CWA AND GIVEN CURRENT DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 50S OVER CENTRAL MN AND NORTHERN WI THIS SEEMS REASONABLE. THIS WILL DROP TEMPS COMFORTABLY DOWN TO THE 60-65F DEGREE RANGE FOR SATURDAY MORNING LOWS. SURFACE HIGH TO SLIDE SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN GREAT LAKES DURING THE DAY SATURDAY...HOLDING OFF RETURN FLOW KEEPING HEAT INDICES IN CHECK WHILE HIGHS REACH 85-90F. WARM FRONT THEN MOVES BACK THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY AS SURFACE WAVE DEVELOPING IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS MOVES EASTWARD INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION WITH PARENT SURFACE LOW WELL TO THE NORTH IN CANADA. DEEP MOISTURE AND FORCING EXPECTED TO STAY NORTH OF OUR AREA KEEPING FORECAST DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND ALTHOUGH MORE HUMID CONDITIONS TO RETURN SUNDAY. UPPER RIDGE IN PLACE OVER THE EASTERN US RESULTS IN HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. RIDGE AXIS PUSHES TO EAST COAST BY TUESDAY AND ALLOWING UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY BRINGING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIP. ANOTHER DRY AIRMASS PROGGED TO MOVE BEHIND THIS FRONT BRINGING LESS HUMID CONDITIONS AND TEMPS ACTUALLY DROPPING A COUPLE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. .AVIATION... TOUGH FORECAST NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS IN REGARDS TO CONVECTION. DYING COMPLEX OF STORMS WILL TRACK NORTH OF BOTH SITES. MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT IN ILLINOIS OR POSSIBLE WESTERN INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON AS A SERIES OF BOUNDARIES INTERACT WITH A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND A APPROACHING SHORTWAVE COMES IN TO ENHANCE THINGS. FOR NOW HAVE CONTINUED TEMPO GROUPS LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVE AT BOTH SITES. AS CONVECTION BEGINS TO DEVELOP...LATER AMENDMENTS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. OUTSIDE OF STORMS...STILL EXPECT GENERAL VFR CONDITIONS WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CU FORMATION SO FAR. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...FISHER/WAMSLEY LONG TERM...LOGSDON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 1045 AM EST THU JUL 21 2005 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-221017- 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 1045 AM EST THU JUL 21 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN INDIANA...NORTHWEST OHIO AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS POSING THE GREATEST THREAT. IN ADDITION...LOCAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER IN MANY AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE AND MAY BRIEFLY REACH OR EXCEED 100 DEGREES IN A FEW SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THESE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE OR NOT. A COLD FRONT WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THAT TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-061-221017- 1045 AM EST THU JUL 21 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS POSING THE GREATEST THREAT. WAVES WILL ALSO BE HIGHER NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THESE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE OR NOT. A COLD FRONT WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THAT TIME. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/MARINE FISHER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1211 PM EST THU JUL 21 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND DMG FREMONT 41.73N 84.93W
07/20/2005 STEUBEN IN NEWSPAPER
TREE BLOWN DOWN ONTO POWER LINE.
1145 PM TSTM WND DMG FREMONT 41.73N 84.93W
07/20/2005 STEUBEN IN NEWSPAPER
TREE DOWN ONTO POWER LINE.
&&
FISHERThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:08 UTC.
15 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Union Mills, Laporte and Michigan City as well as other parts of the county.
A path of damage was reported starting in the Walkerton area, continuing through North Liberty and Lakeville before ending near the Elkhart county line. A tree fell onto a unoccupied truck in Walkerton with trees and power lines down in this city as well. The most concentrated damage extended from North Liberty to Lakeville where winds were estimated to 75 mph. Numerous large maple trees and power lines were blown down across this area. Several homes, vehicles and other buildings in these areas suffered damage as a result of falling trees. A few of the homes were nearly destroyed.
A large tree was uprooted, falling over onto a house in Koontz Lake, destroying the home. The home was not occupied at the time.
Trees were reported down northwest of Plymouth. The Lapaz Town Marshall was driving on North Michigan Street in Plymouth when high winds blew a large tree down onto his patrol car. The officer saw the tree falling but was unable to react fast enough to avoid it.
Trees and power lines were blown down northwest of North Judson.
Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across the county, including Wakarusa, Goshen, Elkhart, Nappanee and Bristol. A few trees and tree limbs were blown down onto houses and vehicles. A trailer park in Bristol suffered damage as trees fell onto vehicles and mobile homes. Debris from the mobile homes was then thrown at other residences, causing additional damage. A 65 mph wind gust was observed west of Nappanee, with the Goshen airport reporting a 59 mph wind gust.
Trees and power lines reported blown down.
Trees were blown down.
Very large limb, as well as power lines were blown down.
A large tree was blown down.
Trees were blown down in Topeka as well as just north of Wolcottville.
Trees, tree limbs and power lines were reported down in several locations across the county. Much of the damage occurred from Angola to Fremont where large trees blocked some roadways for several hours, forcing temporary closures. A roof of a Bennigans restaurant in Angola suffered damage from the winds, which allowed rain into the building, forcing its closure for a few days.
Two large trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down in the area.
Hail ranging from nickel to quarter size was reported in Reynolds.
Another severe thunderstorm produced penny to quarter size hail along US-421 between Monon and Reynolds.
A power pole was blown down onto county road 1000 south, west of Fairmount. A driver heading westbound on the road did not see the pole and struck it. Power lines were reported on the vehicle after it was struck, trapping the driver. The pole broke out one of the back windows and caused some other damage.
Lightning struck the side of a house north of Marion, going through a piece of metal and sparking a small fire in attic insulations as well as an associated overhang. The fire was quickly extinguished with no injuries reported, but damage was estimated to be at least $1,000.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2005
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: 5470291, 5470292, 5470294, 5470289, 5470293, 5470358, 5470295, 5470290, 5470296, 5470297, 5470298, 5470299, 5470300, 5470354, 5470355, 5470356, 5470357, 5470288, 5470225.