Severe storms moved across northwest Indiana May 15th, producing significant wind damage.
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 episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.
Severe storms moved across northwest Indiana May 15th, producing significant wind damage.
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 May 15, 1:00 PM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 200 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 .DISCUSSION FOR AFTERNOON ZONES/GRIDS... MAIN CONCERN FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON WILL BE DEVELOPING CONVECTION OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. WATCH NUMBER 275 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 02Z THIS EVENING...BUT WILL LIKELY ONLY LAST THIS LONG FOR THE FAR EASTERN PORTION OF THE WATCH AREA OVER NORTHWESTERN INDIANA. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY DEVELOPING ALONG THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH WILL TAP DECENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITH SFC DEWPOINTS ARND 60F AND BNDRY LAYER WINDS OF 40-50KT. INITIALLY...THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE SVR HAIL...BUT AS CELLS ORGANIZE INTO SHORT LINES...60+KT WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. WHILE THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55...SOME TSRA DVLPMENT IS POSSIBLE TO THE NORTH BUT SVR POTENTIAL IS MINIMAL...AS THE MORE IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN SOUTH AND EAST OF THE SFC BNDRY. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NEAR TERM...THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HRS...HAVE ESSENTIALLY TIMED THE PASSAGE OF THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH AND TRAILING COLD FRONT BASED OFF OF RADAR/SATELLITE TRENDS AND THE WRFARW GUIDANCE. THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM WILL FOCUS ON TS ACTIVITY ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE NAM IS TRENDING STRONGER AND A TOUCH FASTER WITH A NRN STREAM SHORT WAVE DROPPING OUT OF THE NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND PASSING OVER THE CHICAGO METRO AREA IN THE EVENING. THE BEST UPPER LEVEL FORCING WILL BE BTWN 00Z AND 06Z IN THE EVENING...JUST AFTER THE TIME OF MAX HEATING. SO...WOULD EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF TS ACTIVITY WITH HAIL/WIND BEING THE MAIN CONCERNS. MOVING INTO THE LONGER TERM...HAVE TRENDED TOWARD THE NCEP MANUAL GUIDANCE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND. HAVE OPTED TO DROP TEMPS A FEW DEGREES BELOW THE NCEP GUIDANCE AND AND THE MEX MOS GIVEN THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF EASTERLY FLOW OFF OF THE COOL LAKE MICHIGAN WATERS. WITH WATER TEMPS STILL ONLY IN THE 50S...SHOULD BE LOWER TEMPS...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE LAKE FRONT. KREIN && .AVIATION... 115 PM CDT FOR 18Z TAFS...COMPLEX FRONTAL SYSTEM WORKING THROUGH NRN IL THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL VEER TO N-NW LATER IN THE DAY AS COOLER AIR SLIDES IN. CIGS EXPECTED TO DETEREORATE TO MVFR OR LOW MVFR LATE IN THE DAY AND TONIGHT AS RAIN AND SHOWERS INCR. PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL AROUND SUNSET WITH WDLY SCTD STORMS ALREADY NEAR PIA. MAIN PERIOD OF TSTM THREAT FROM 20Z-00. SECOND IMPULSE ROTATING THROUGH THE REGION ON WED WILL PROLONG MVFR CONDS AND THREAT OF SHOWERS. KML && .MARINE... 210 PM CDT COMPLEX FRONTAL SYSTEM SOUTH OF LM HAS DEVELOPED WEAK SFC LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE LOW SHOULD MOVE OFF TO THE EAST EARLY THIS EVENING WITH HIGH PRESSURE OF 30.3 INCHES OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA MOVING TOWARD THE LAKE THURSDAY SUPPORTING A NORTH FETCH FOR A COUPLE DAYS. THE HIGH WILL BE BY THE LAKE FRIDAY LEADING TO A RETURN OF SW WINDS FOR THE WEEKEND. KL .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .IL...NONE. .IN...NONE. .LM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 430 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>022-023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011- 019-160930- 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- 430 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM WAUKEGAN TO BURLINGTON TO DEKALB TO PAW PAW. THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY ON TUESDAY. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO LMZ740>745-766-160930- WINTHROP HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN- LAKE MICHIGAN- 430 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 THIS PORTION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && COMPLETE FORECAST INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS CHICAGO WEBPAGE: WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO HALBACH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
152 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0125 PM TSTM WND GST DWIGHT 41.10N 88.42W
05/15/2007 M60.00 MPH LIVINGSTON IL PUBLIC
60 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT DWIGHT, IL AIRPORT
0143 PM HAIL COAL CITY 41.29N 88.28W
05/15/2007 E0.88 INCH GRUNDY IL TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN COAL CITY
&&
CGITROPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
210 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0138 PM HAIL MORRIS 41.37N 88.43W
05/15/2007 E0.75 INCH GRUNDY IL TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY SIZE HAIL.
&&
BNThe Chicago radar (KLOT), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree limbs were blown down. A trailer was damaged near US 41. Four utility poles were blown down.
A roof was partially torn off a building. Three utility poles were snapped near their base on Parish Avenue. Trees and power lines were also blown down.
Numerous large tree limbs were blown down.
Penny size hail reported near Interstate 65 and US 30.
Large tree limbs blown down.
Fifteen large pine trees were uprooted at the Indiana University Northwest campus in Gary. Some of the trees fell on several cars. Windows in some buildings were also blown out.
Lightning struck an apartment building, which started a fire in the attic.
Several tree limbs were blown down. One damaged a roof and siding on a home on Van Buren Street.
Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph.
A large tree fell onto a pickup truck and a van, crushing both. A large tree was uprooted on Charlotte Street, falling onto a house. Tree limbs and power lines were also blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down across Crown Point.
Wind gusts estimated to 70 mph near 1100 N and IN-49 Bypass just north of the toll Road.
A tree was blown down onto a pickup truck on State Road 149, north of US Route 6, killing the driver.
Tree limbs down in Brunswick.
A two and half foot diameter tree was snapped at it's base.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Porter | 2007-05-15 | 71 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 2007
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: 33193, 33194, 33195, 33192, 33211, 34960, 34968, 34970, 33236, 34962, 33219, 33237, 33226, 33228, 33234.