Widespread flooding struck central Indiana in February. Some of the same areas heavily flooded during January were once again flooded to near record levels.
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 IND wrote it up.
Widespread flooding struck central Indiana in February. Some of the same areas heavily flooded during January were once again flooded to near record levels. February flooding was more widespread and persisted longer than flooding during January. One person was killed because he drove into a flooded road. Snowfall of up to 10 inches accumulated during the early days of February in northern Indiana and portions of east central Illinois. This snow quickly melted by the morning of the 6th as temperatures rose into the 50s on the 4th and 5th. Rain of 1 to 4 inches fell in eastern Illinois and much of Indiana on the 5th and 6th. This combination of rapid snow melt and heavy rain caused extensive flooding of streams and rivers in central Indiana. The heaviest rainfall was in the east central Illinois, northern Indiana, and eastern Indiana areas. For the second time in 30 days, flooding approached record levels along the Tippecanoe River in northern Indiana. The Wabash River approached a major flood from Lafayette to Vincennes. Flooding along this portion of the Wabash River was the highest since January 2005. Extensive flooding along the White, Eel, Muscatatuck, and East Fork White Rivers was the highest to date of the winter. Flood damage along the Tippecanoe River was limited because many residents had not been able to repair January flood damage. However, some flood damage did result to those who had begun repairs. The number of people evacuated was much less as well because many homes were uninhabitable. An agricultural levee south of Terre Haute was over toppled. A few rural families had roads to their homes blocked by flood waters. Sandbagging was necessary in the Montezuma and Clinton areas. One person was killed during the evening of the 6th in Lawrence County. He drove his vehicle into a road flooded by Indian Creek. Numerous local roads and several state highways were flooded along Indiana's major rivers. Flood lasted from a few days in many central Indiana locations to nearly four weeks along portions of the Wabash River in the Hutsonville area.
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 Feb 5, 3:40 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 340 AM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 .DISCUSSION... ...FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL TODAY AND TONIGHT... RADAR SHOWS SQUALL LINE ACRS CENTRAL FA WITH COLD FNT BEHIND IT JUST W OF KLAF AND STRETCHING SW BACK INTO ERN IL. TEMPS ARE IN THE UPR 50S TO MID 60S WITH DEWPTS IN THE UPR 50S AND WINDS OUT OF THE SW AT 10-20KTS. MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT SO WL USE A BLEND. FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING WITH SYSTEM AFFECTING FA TODAY/TONIGHT. PLENTY OF FORCING ALONG THE FNT IN THE NAM. FRONTOGENESIS VALUES ARE LARGE THIS AFTERNOON. DECENT BIT OF SFC COLD AIR N OF THE FNT AND DESPITE THE FRONT MVING SLOWLY THE TEMP GRADIENT ACRS IT IS PRETTY TIGHT. S OF THE FNT HAVE SOME SFC INSTABILITY AVAILABLE EVEN WITHOUT ANY SUNSHINE...N OF THE FNT ANY INSTABILITY IS ELEVATED. HODOGRAPHS SHOW A GOOD AMOUNT OF CURVATURE AND 3KM SRH VALUES ARE OVR 200 TUE AFTERNOON TO LATE TUE NT. BEST TORNADO POTENTIAL WILL BE NR AND S OF THE FNT WHERE BNDY REMAINS WELL MIXED AND STORMS ARE ROOTED IN THIS LAYER WITH THE DIRECTIONAL SHEAR. N OF THE FNT POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ELEVATED STORMS AND SOME SPEED SHEAR IS AVAILABLE SO MOST LIKELY SCENARIO THERE WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS WITH AN MCS. NW FA SHUD BE FAR ENUF FROM THE STRONG FORCING AND DECENT INSTABILITY THAT FLOODING /DISCUSSED BELOW/ AND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS THERE. ON TO THE FLOODING POTENTIAL...PRECIP WATER VALUES ARE EXTREMELY HIGH FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR /OVER 1 INCH IN EVEN THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF THE FA AND UP TO 1.5 OR SO IN THE S/ AND WITH FNT MVING SLOWLY AND BASICALLY STALLING FOR SEVERAL HOURS OVR THE SRN FA WL LIKELY SEE FLASH FLOODING AS WELL AS EXTENDED AREAL FLOODING AND SUBSEQUENT RIVER FLOODING ACROSS THE AREA. LOOKS LIKE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES INTO TUE OVERNIGHT SO WL EXTEND FLOOD WATCH TO 12Z WED. RAINFALL TOTALS THRU 12Z WEDS LOOK TO BE WIDESPREAD 2-3+ INCHES. FOR TEMPS/WINDS TODAY/TONIGHT HAVE USED 3 HRLY TEMPS FROM THE NAM12 AS THIS SHOWED PROGRESSION OF FNT WELL AND IT/S EFFECTS ON TEMPS. FOR REST OF THE FCST PD HAVE USED A MOS BLEND FOR TEMPS. WED AS SYSTEM MVS OUT WL SEE A CHANGEOVER TO SOME SNOW IN THE NW...BUT DO NOT EXPECT MUCH IN THE WAY OF AMTS. BY WED NT FCST IS DRY. MADE NO CHANGES TO EXTENDED. && .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR THE 06Z TAFS WET AND ACTIVE PERIOD IN STORE THIS FORECAST PERIOD AS CD FRONT WL STALL ACRS CENTRAL INDIANA ON TUESDAY MORNING. COUPIUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE GIVEN THE SFC DEW POINT APPROACHING 60. GOOD FORCING IN PLACE BY TUE AFTERNOON. FRONTOGENSIS IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. HENCE WL KEEP MVFR CONDITIONS ONGOING THROUGH THE FORECAST ALONG WITH PERIODS OF RA. ATTM FEEL TWO ROUND OF TSRA WL BE POSSIBLE...THE FIRST COMING DURG THE FIRST 6 HRS OF THE TAFS AS TEH CD FRONT SAGS SOUTHWARD. THE 2ND WL BE ON TUES AFTERNOON AND EVE AS H8 JET INCREASES ACRS SRN INDIANA...INCREASING FORCING. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS OR WORSE WITH TSRA BUT WL NOT TRY TO TIME THE SECOND ROUND OF THE STORMS FOR NOW AND WL USE VCTS. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && PUBLIC...CP AVIATION...JP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 509 PM EST MON FEB 4 2008 INZ021-028>031-035>042-051100- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH- 509 PM EST MON FEB 4 2008 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT. VISIBILITIES IN THE FOG MAY BE REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. THE FOG IS EXPECTED TO THIN OUT SOME AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...THE WEATHER PATTERN APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW SEVERE STORMS...MAINLY FROM THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUESDAY UNTIL ABOUT MIDNIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS. IN ADDITION...HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN FLOODING PROBLEMS LATER IN THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND CREEKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FUTURE STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ON TUESDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ043>049-051100- VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY- 509 PM EST MON FEB 4 2008 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT. VISIBILITIES IN THE FOG MAY BE REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. THE FOG IS EXPECTED TO THIN OUT SOME AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...THE WEATHER PATTERN APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS...MAINLY FROM THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUESDAY INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN FLOODING PROBLEMS LATER IN THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND CREEKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FUTURE STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ON TUESDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ051>057-051100- VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH- 509 PM EST MON FEB 4 2008 ..FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...THE WEATHER PATTERN APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS...MAINLY FROM THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUESDAY INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN FLOODING PROBLEMS LATER IN THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND CREEKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FUTURE STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ON TUESDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ060>065-067>072-051100- SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS- MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 509 PM EST MON FEB 4 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING... ...SIGNIFCANT SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...THE WEATHER PATTERN APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS...MAINLY FROM THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS ON TUESDAY INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND A FEW TORNADOES...POSSIBLY STRONG...ARE ALL POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN FLOODING PROBLEMS LATER IN THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY NEAR RIVERS AND CREEKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FUTURE STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ON TUESDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
42 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding occurred along the Tippecanoe River downstream of Oakdale Dam in Carroll County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Parke County, including near Montezuma, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Vermillion County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Mississinewa River in Randolph County, including near Ridgeville, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Tippecanoe County, including near Lafayette, due to heavy rain and snow melt. Numerous homes were affected by flood waters.
Flooding occurred along Big Walnut Creek in Putnam County, including near Reelsville, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Fountain County, including near Covington, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Warren County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Vigo County, including near Terre Haute, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Tippecanoe River in Carroll County, including west of Delphi, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Muscatatuck River in Jackson County, including near Wheeler Hollow, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in southwestern Parke County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along Wildcat Creek in Tippecanoe County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in western sullivan County due to heavy rain and snow melt. Flooding continued until March 1st at 21:34.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Sullivan County, including near Riverton, due to heavy rain and snow melt. Flooding continued until March 2nd at 05:40.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Marion County, including near Nora, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Marion County, including near Ravenswood, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Eel River in Clay County, including near Bowling Green, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Hamilton County, including near Noblesville, due to heavy rain and snow melt. Flooding closed Indiana 19 between Logan Street and Field Drive. The Hamilton County Highway Department closed Casey Road between 193rd and 186th Streets, 193rd Street between Spring Mill Road and Six Points Road, Riverwood Drive in the Riverwood subdivision, Riverwood Avenue between 211th and 221st streets, Six Points between 216th and Indiana 38, Edith Avenue between River Road and 206th, and 246th between Cornell and Ray Parker roads. Sandbags have been handed out to several residents.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Delaware County, including in Muncie, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Morgan County, including near Centerton, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along Youngs Creek in Johnson County, including near Amity, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Big Blue River in Shelby County, including near Shelbyville, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Morgan County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the East Fork White River in Jackson County, including near Seymour, due to heavy rain and snow melt. A family of six was rescued from the flooded East Fork White River near County Road 150 East. The family was taken to the medical center in Seymour for medical treatment after the incident.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Owen County, including near Spencer, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Big Blue River in Rush County, including near Carthage, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the East Fork White River in Jackson County, including near Sparksville, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Madison County, including in Anderson, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Greene County, including near Newberry, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Greene County, including near Elliston, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along Sugar Creek in Johnson County, including near Edinburgh, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in southern Knox County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in southeastern Knox County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along Wildcat Creek in Howard County, including near Kokomo, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Flatrock River in Bartholomew County, including near Columbus, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Knox County, including near Edwardsport, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in Daviess County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the White River in southern Knox County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Knox County, including near Vincennes, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in southwestern Knox County due to heavy rain and snow melt.
Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Knox County, including near Red Skelton Bridge, due to heavy rain and snow melt.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, February 2008
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: 80567, 79837, 79838, 80369, 79654, 80370, 79655, 79656, 79839, 80494, 80566, 80248, 80498, 80275, 79850, 80341, 80344, 80366, 80328, 80317, 80348, 80374, 80372, 80346, 80535, 80352, 80373, 80564, 80323, 80358, 80356, 80495, 80362, 80361, 80371, 80504, 80359, 80360, 80363, 80227, and more.