Three homes were struck by lightning as storms passed through central Indiana.
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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.
Three homes were struck by lightning as storms passed through central Indiana.
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, 12:30 AM EST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1230 AM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 .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. .DISCUSSION FORECAST FOCUS ON POTENTIAL MAJOR SEVERE OUTBREAK TOMORROW. THE SURFACE MAP THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS LOW PRESSURE IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS EASTWARD FROM THIS FRONT THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND TO NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA. ALOFT AT H5 THERE IS A BROAD TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CONUS...AND A STRONG RIDGE OVER FLORIDA. THE MODELS WERE SIMILAR ENOUGH TO USE A BLENDED SOLUTION. IN THE SHORT TERM...THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS SET TO EXPIRE AT 4 PM. IT APPEARS THAT IT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED IN THE NORTHWEST AREAS OF THE FA WHERE VSBYS REMAIN BELOW 1/4SM. OTHERWISE JUST MENTION PATCHY FOG. OVERNIGHT TONIGHT THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST AND PUSH THE COLD FRONT NEAR INDIANA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND MOVE UP ALONG THE FRONT AND BRING A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE AREA TONIGHT. WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S THERE WILL NOT BE MUCH ROOM FOR THE TEMPERATURES TO FALL TONIGHT. WILL EXPECT STEADY OR RISING TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. TOMORROW WILL BE A VERY ACTIVE DAY. THE TROUGH WILL EXIT THE MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE PLAINS. THE SOUNDINGS LOOK VERY CONDUCIVE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN. SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT TEMPERATURES WILL APPROACH 70 AND DEWPOINTS INTO THE UPPER 50S TO NEAR 60 AND THIS WILL PRODUCE SOME WEAK TO MODERATE SURFACE INSTABILITY TOMORROW. SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOW A WELL TURNED HODOGRAPH AND RESULTING HIGH SRH VALUES. WINDS ALOFT WILL BE APPRAOCHING 80KTS AT 500 MB...AND WET BULB ZERO VALUES WILL BE IN THE SWEET SPOT OF AROUND 9-11KFT AS WELL. SO THE THREATS WILL BE MULTIPLE FROM THIS EVENT...AND SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT COULD BE POSSIBLE IN THE WARM SECTOR. THESE WILL POTENTIALLY BE TORNADIC GIVEN THE VERY GOOD HODOGRAPH...AND THERE WILL BE A SECOND ENHANCED AREA OF TORNADIC THREAT NEAR THE SURFACE WARM FRONT. THE SPC OUTLOOK SHOWS A MODERATE RISK IN THE FAR SOUTHERN TIERS OF COUNTIES TOMORROW AND THIS LOOKS REASONABLE. WILL PLAN TO HIGHLIGHT THIS IN THE HWO AND OTHER PRODUCTS. THE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL BE APPROACHING 300 PERCENT OF CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THIS WILL ALSO MAKE POTENTIAL FLOODING AN ISSUE. SO WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH SINCE THE FORECASTED QPF IS WELL IN EXCESS OF FFG VALUES. EXTENDED THERE WILL BE COOLER AIR COMING IN ON WEDNESDAY BUT LIKELY TOO LATE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL. THEN IT WILL STAY SEASONABLY COOL WITH A BROAD TROUGH OVER THE AREA. SOME HINTING OF COLDER AIR RETURNING BY LATE THIS WEEKEND. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && PUBLIC...JOHNSON 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 Indianapolis radar (KIND), 35 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:54 UTC.
3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a home in Hamilton County and left a charred area in the center of the living room floor. Firefighters discovered the fire had burned in a cavity located between the first and second levels of the home, producing a large area of charred building material.
A house was struck by lightning as storms moved through the area. When firefighters arrived, they found the home's basement in flames. It look them about an hour to completely put the fire out. The blaze originated in the basement utility room. The basement was destroyed.
Lightning struck a flexible natural gas line that went to the basement. The homeowner was treated by medics for smoke inhalation, but was not taken to the hospital.
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: 78848, 78845, 78856.