Indiana, 2005

Damaging Winds in Indiana, June 5, 2005

June 5, 2005 · NWS LOT · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

A line of thunderstorms developed in extreme eastern Illinois during the early afternoon of June 5th and move east into northwest Indiana. This line of thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 mph which blew down trees, tree limbs and power lines in several locations.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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 LOT wrote it up.

A line of thunderstorms developed in extreme eastern Illinois during the early afternoon of June 5th and move east into northwest Indiana. This line of thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 mph which blew down trees, tree limbs and power lines in several locations.

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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 5, 1:15 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 5, 1:15 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
115 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 2005

.DISCUSSION...

LINE OF SHOWERS MOVING NORTHEAST INTO THE WESTERN CWA EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON ALONG WITH CLOUD SHIELD. AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW HAS
THOUGHTS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING WELL IN HAND. WILL BE
WATCHING RADAR TRENDS TO DETERMINE MENTION OF PRECIP THIS EVENING
BUT AT THIS POINT...PLANNING ON HAVING AT LEAST A CHANCE THIS
EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA...MAYBE LIKELY IN NW INDIANA. THREAT
OF SVR STORMS WILL END THIS EVENING BUT BEFORE THEN DAMAGING WINDS
LOOK TO BE THE BIGGEST THREAT. BEGINNING OF THE WORK WEEK IS LOOKING
VERY WARM WITH TUESDAY SHAPING UP TO BE HAZY...HOT AND HUMID.
ALREADY BUMPED HIGHS INTO THE LOWER 90S WITH THIS MORNINGS UPDATE
FOR TUES. PLENTY OF SUNSHINE...850MB TEMPS +18C TO +20C AND
SOUNDINGS THAT INDICATE WE SHOULD MIX TO AT LEAST 750MB. WITH PLENTY
DRY AIR ALOFT THIS LOOKS TO BE THE WARMEST DAY SO FAR THIS YEAR
ACROSS NORTHERN IL. THERE IS SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES HERE HOWEVER...
WITH THE GFS KEEPING SFC FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN IL. THE NAM IS
FURTHER NORTH BUT STILL BRINGS IT TO THE WI/IL BORDER BY 00Z WED.
SO THIS FEATURE WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED ALONG WITH A LK BREEZE BY
MID/LATE TUES AFTERNOON...AND POSSIBLY COOLER TEMPS ACROSS THE FAR
NORTHERN CWA. HAVE BUMPED TEMPS UP ON MONDAY AS WELL AS LOW TEMPS
MON NIGHT AND TUES NIGHT. OTHERWISE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE
FORECAST. TEMPS COOL BACK INTO THE MID/UPPER 80S FOR THE REST OF THE
WEEK WITH AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND TS. HAVING GONE WITH
THE NAM FOR WIND SPEED/DIR AND WARMER TEMPS TUES... SO DON/T WANT TO
REMOVE PRECIP TUES NIGHT INTO WED THOUGH IN THAT PATTERN CAN/T FIND
A LOT TO FOCUS TS DEVELOPMENT. NEVERTHELESS HAVE MADE NO CHANGES TO
PRECIP. LIKEWISE BY FRI/SAT LOOKS LIKE A CONTINUED CHANCE OF PRECIP.
THIS FAR OUT...WILL BE STAYING DRY HERE.

&&

.AVIATION DISCUSSION REGARDING 18Z TAFS...
BIG QUESTION THIS AFTN IS ON TIMING AND LOCATION OF CONVECTIVE
INTITIATION.  PRIMARY AREA OF INTEREST SURROUNDS TSTM INDUCED MID
LVL DISTURBANCE NOW LIFTING NNEWD ACRS CNTRL IL.  AIR MASS OVR
IND/LWR MI HAS BCM VERY UNSTABLE WHILE CLOUDS OVR NERN IL HAVE
SUPRESSED DESTABILIZATION SOMEWHAT.  THEREFORE...CURRENT THINKING IS
THAT TSTMS WILL DVLP RPDLY AFT ABOUT 19Z OVR CHI AREA AND SWD ALG
IND STA LN...PROBABLY BCMG SVR AS THEY HEAD OFF INTO WRN/NRN IND AFT
20Z.  THEREFORE WILL JUST GO WITH VCTS OVR NERN IL AND HAVE TEMPO
THUNDER IN FOR A FEW HRS LATER THIS AFTN INVOF GYY.  OTHER AREA OF
CONCERN IS WITH DEW POINT FRONT FROM NR DBQ SWWD TO NR COU.  THIS
AREA SHOWS UP WELL ON VIS SATLT IMAGERY AS A LN OF BUILDING CU.
TSTMS EXPECTED TO FIRE ALG THIS LN ARND 19Z AS WELL WITH BEST STM
DVLPMT TO N OF TERMINALS...PERHAPS SKIRTING NWRN IL.  THERFORE HAVE
GONE WITH TEMPO GROUP FOR RFD AS WELL. ANY TSTM THREAT EXPECT TO BE
E OF ENTR AREA BY 02/03Z TIME FRAME.

GUSTY SSWLY WINDS AOA 20KTS WILL DMNSH TO 10-15 KT RANGE BY
00Z...THEN TURN MORE WSWLY ARND 06Z WITH FROPA.

MERZLOCK

&&

.LOT...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.IL...NONE.
.IN...NONE.
.LK MI...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THRU THIS EVENING.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 5, 12:00 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1200 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 2005

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>022-023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-
019-061100-
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DU PAGE-COOK-
LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-
LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-
1200 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 2005

THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

.DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHWEST
INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS.

THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

A VERY WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE GREAT
LAKES REGION. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE THIS
AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL AID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE HIGHEST
INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA. A COLD FRONT
WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...
PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL
END LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD
FRONT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE
NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE)

LMZ740>745-766-061100-
WINTHROP HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN-
LAKE MICHIGAN-
1200 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 2005

THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS
AND INDIANA WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE... THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN LAKE
MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL
WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. STORMS SHOULD END FROM WEST TO EAST
TONIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR
SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 20 KNOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY
NIGHT.

&&

COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE
NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (LOWER CASE)

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
June 5, 2:48 PM EST
Where
Benton County, Fowler
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.617, -87.317

Six inch trees limbs were split and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Newton

When
June 5, 1:50 PM CST to 1:55 PM CST
Where
Newton County, Kentland
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.767, -87.433

A shed was blown down in Kentland, trees and power lines were blown down in Brook and tree limbs were blown down along State Road 114.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When
June 5, 1:50 PM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Jasper County, Countywide
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.017, -87.100

Widespread tree and power line damage was reported across Jasper County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When
June 5, 2:15 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Jasper County, 2 mi NW of Wheatfield
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
41.217, -87.083

Trees were blown down on roads from 1450N to 1700N and 400W to 500W.

Thunderstorm Wind, Porter

When
June 5, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Porter County, Kouts
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.317, -87.033

Tree limbs and power lines were blown down across parts of southern Porter County.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, June 2005

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: 5457164, 5457165, 5457166, 5457167, 5457168.