A line of severe thunderstorms moved across south central Indiana bringing damaging winds and severe hail.
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 LMK wrote it up.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across south central Indiana bringing damaging winds and severe hail.
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 5:54 PM EST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 654 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 .MESO UPDATE (EARLY THIS EVENING)... WELL...1ST BATCH OF CONVECTION FROM MID AFTERNOON OVER BLUEGRASS REGION HAS PUSHED INTO JKL CWA...AND ONLY BROUGHT BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...FEW CG LIGHTNING STRIKES AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. NEXT SVR STORM IS STRADDLING THE OWEN AND HENRY KY CO LINE...AND TRAJECTORY WILL TAKE THIS FLEMING COUNTY. MAIN CONCERN IS THE SWRN EDGE OF AN MCS OVER CENTRAL PART OF IND AREA. THESE STORMS HAVE A VERY TIGHT REFLECTIVITY GRADIENT OVER OWEN AND MONROE COUNTY LINE IN INDIANA AND DEFINITELY HAS A SEVERE WIND THREAT. WITH 70 DEW POINTS...LIS IN THE -5 TO -7 C RANGE...AND CAPES IN THE 2500-3300 J/KG...THERE IS PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO WORK WITH IN THIS NOTORIOUS NW FLOW. THE 12Z U/A SOUNDINGS AT ILN...ILX...AND BNA ALL DENOTE DAMAGING WIND THREAT WITH LOADS OF DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT FROM 700-500 MB. THE CORFIDI VECTORS ON THE LAST RUC TAKE THIS COMPLEX INTO THE SCOTT AND JEFFERSON COUNTY LINE AROUND 2330Z. IF THE RADAR TRENDS CONTINUE THESE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT A SVR. .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT AND MONDAY)... SCT TSTMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER A PART OF CNTRL KY THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND AHEAD OF A SUBTLE CLOUD BOUNDARY WITH A CU/TCU FIELD AHEAD OF BOUNDARY AND LESS CLOUD COVER JUST BEHIND IT. EXPECT THESE STORMS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING SEWD INTO PARTS OF E-CNTRL AND S-CNTRL KY THRU LATE AFTERNOON BEFORE DISSIPATING THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST CELLS SHOULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUSTS OF 30-40 MPH... AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. THE NEXT CONCERN IS AN AREA OF DEVELOPING CONVECTION OVER CNTRL IL AND CNTRL IN. THIS AREA IS IN A REGION OF WEAK LOW-LEVEL CONFLUENCE AND MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY. TSTMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. STORM TRAJECTORY AND STEERING FLOW ALOFT SUGGEST MAIN AXIS OF STORMS SHOULD MOVE EVENTUALLY INTO SERN IN TO BETWEEN LOUISVILLE AND CINCINNATI...PROBABLY CLIPPING ERN PART OF OUR S-CNTRL IN COUNTIES. SPC HAS JUST ISSUED SVR TSTM WATCH 710 TIL 01Z FOR ERN IL AND CNTRL AND PARTS OF SRN IN. THESE STORMS SHOULD ALSO WEAKEN LATER THIS EVENING AS DIURNAL INSTABILITY WANES. OVERNIGHT...ADDITIONAL TSTMS MAY FORM WELL TO OUR NW AND POSSIBLY DEVELOP INTO ANOTHER MCS. THIS SHOULD NOT AFFECT OUR NRN COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. INSTEAD...SHOULD BE DRY WEATHER OVERNIGHT WITH AREAS OF HAZE/FOG. ON MONDAY...OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM ANY MCS ACTIVITY TO OUR N AND W MAY SERVE AS EFFECTIVE BOUNDARIES FOR RENEWED TSTM DEVELOPMENT MON AFTERNOON WITHIN A HOT AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS. APPEARS NRN HALF OF FCST AREA WILL BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION WITH ISOLATED WET MICROBURTS POSSIBLE. .LONG TERM (MONDAY NIGHT THRU SUNDAY)... MON NGT THRU WED NGT... LATE MON NIGHT INTO TUE SHUD BE PRIME TIME FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA (FA) WITH MCS POTENTIAL MON NGT...MAINLY FOR OUR NRN FA AND POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT TUE. LONGWAVE TROF...EMBEDDED WITH SEWD MOVG SHRTWV TROFS...FORECAST TO SHARPEN/DIG INTO OUR FA BY WED WITH TROF AXIS EAST OF OUR AREA BY WED NIGHT. ASSOCIATED CDFNT WILL LIKELY BE MEANDERING ACRS SRN INDIANA AT THE START OF THIS PERIOD. SHORT RANGE MODELS/ENSEMBLES INDICATE A POTENTIAL MCS DEVELOPING NEAR/NORTH OF BNDRY AS IT SLIPS SWD INTO N-CNTRL KY BY 12Z TUE. CURRENT HI CHC POPS FOR OUR NRN FA AND LOWER CHC SOUTH SEEM REASONABLE AND WILL LEAVE FOR MON NIGHT. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE/INSTABILITY/SHEAR SHUD BE IN PLACE FOR STRONG STORMS...WITH PERHAPS A FEW REACHING SVR LEVELS. BNDRY CONTINUES SLOWLY SEWD TUE/TUE NIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWERS/STORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR FRONT AS AFOREMENTIONED TROF CONTINUES TO DIG INTO THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. SHORT RANGE ENSEMBLES SHOW SHOWERS/STORMS TO BE MOST WIDESPREAD TUE WITH DECAYING...THEN REDEVELOPING MCS DROPPING SWD ACRS OUR FA. WILL RAISE POPS AT THAT TIME TO 50% ENTIRE FA. GREATEST SVR THREAT/DEEP CONVECTION...WOULD APPEAR TO BE ACRS OUR SRN FA TUE AFTN/EARLY TUE NIGHT WITH FRONT OVER THAT AREA DURING THE DIURNAL INSTABILITY MAX...ASSUMING CONVECTIVE DEBRIS DOES NOT SLOW SIGNIFICANTLY DAYTIME HEATING. BY WED...RAIN CHCS SHOULD BE DECREASING WITH DEEP MOISTURE AND CONVERGENCE PROGGED ALONG BNDRY ACRS TENNESSEE. ONGOING FCST INDICATES AS MUCH. THU THRU SUN... TYPICAL LATE JULY TEMPS THRU THIS PERIOD WITH MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS. BEST CHC POPS (30-40%) WILL BE RESERVED FOR FRI. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE SIMILAR WITH SHOWING WEAK NW UPR FLO THRU MUCH OF THE PERIOD...HOPEFULLY FLO WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PUSH A COUPLE OF COOL FRONTS SWD THRU OUR FA...WHICH BECOMES HARDER TO DO AS WE GET LATER INTO THE SUMMER. FIRST SUCH FRONT (QSTNRY) FORECAST TO BE ACRS TN THU WITH HIGH PRES EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER GREAT LAKES INTO THE LOWER OH VLY. HAVE CHOSEN TO REMOVE SLIGHT CHC POPS FOR THAT PERIOD FROM THE PREV FCST. FOR THU NGT/FRI/FRI NIGHT...SFC WAVE DEVELOPS ON BNDRY AND MOVES ACRS MO/LWR OH VLY WITH GFS ENSEMBLES/OPS ECMWF AND HPC INDICATING AT LEAST SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS...ESPECIALLY FRI AHEAD OF WAVE IN STRONGEST SLY/MOIST FLO. WENT WITH HPC FOR THE WEEKEND (LOW CHC POPS) WITH A SECOND DECELERATING FRONT EXPECTED TO BE MEANDERING ACRS OUR FA WITH HIGHEST POPS SOUTH...NEAREST FRONT. && .AVIATION (00Z TAFS)... BWG AND SDF TSTM THREATS ARE MINIMUL AS MCS OVER IND CWA IS HEADING TOWARDS LEX...TRAJECTORY BRINGS THIS IN AROUND 0130Z. HAVE INCLUDED WIND GUSTS TO 35 KTS RIGHT NOW. IF THIS HOLDS TOGETHER AND LEX RECEIVES 1/2 INCH OR MORE OF PCPN....THEN MVFR FOG OR WORSE COULD OCCUR. OTHER THAN THAT...NEXT TAF WILL TRY TO BETTER FOCUS WHAT TIMES WILL BE THE OPTIMUM TSRA THREAT FOR MCS ON MONDAY. BWG AND SDF SHOULD HAVE 5-6SM HZ FROM 09Z-13Z ONCE AGAIN. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && UPDATE.......JDG SHORT TERM...TWF LONG TERM....JDK AVIATION.....JDG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 410 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 INZ076>079-092-KYZ031>033-212015- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-CLARK IN-OLDHAM KY- TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY- 410 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF STORMS OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE AREA. THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND DAMAGE AND HAIL...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. ANY STORMS SHOULD DISSIPATE BY LATE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP MONDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY AS A COOL FRONT DROPS SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION. THE MOST WIDESPREAD STORMS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... INZ083-084-089>091-KYZ023>030-034>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-212015- DUBOIS IN-CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY- JEFFERSON KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY-SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY- SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY-FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY- NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY-MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY- CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY-GARRARD KY-MADISON KY- BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY-TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY- LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY-ALLEN KY-BARREN KY- MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY-CUMBERLAND KY- CLINTON KY- 410 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 /310 PM CDT SUN JUL 20 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL KENTUCKY THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH THE BEST CHANCE OVER PARTS OF EAST- CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP MONDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY AS A COOL FRONT DROPS SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION. THE MOST WIDESPREAD STORMS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... TWF/DK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 240 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ039-040-046-047-201945- ANDERSON-MERCER-WASHINGTON-WOODFORD- 240 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 ...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS... AT 233 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM LAWRENCEBURG TO 10 MILES EAST OF BARDSTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STORMS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF WASHINGTON MERCER ANDERSON AND SOUTHERN WOODFORD COUNTIES THROUGH ABOUT 4 PM EDT. WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS...EXPECT FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. TWF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 341 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ046>048-054>057-065>067-202015- BOYLE-CASEY-GARRARD-JESSAMINE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARION-MERCER-TAYLOR- WASHINGTON- 344 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 ...STRONG STORMS NEAR LANCASTER...RICHMOND...STANFORD... AT 344 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR LANCASTER AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN THREE MILES...SMALL PEA OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH... ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM FROM LIBERTY TO CRAB ORCHARD TO THE BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT. ESR
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:00 UTC.
5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was reported down on State Route 7 just north of Dupont.
Numerous trees were blown down at Clifty Fall State Park.
Power lines were reported down in the Briarwood area.
Power poles were reported down.
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, July 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: 112811, 112812, 112813, 112806, 112814, 112807, 112808, 112809, 112810.