Severe thunderstorms moved rapidly eastward from central Illinois into Indiana producing dozens of severe weather reports throughout a large section of central and southern Indiana.
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.
Severe thunderstorms moved rapidly eastward from central Illinois into Indiana producing dozens of severe weather reports throughout a large section of central and southern 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 Jun 6, 4:35 PM EST, 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 535 PM EDT FRI JUN 6 2008 .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 00Z TAFS TSRA WILL BE AROUND THE TAF SITES AT ISSUANCE TIME. WILL COVER WITH TEMPOS AND ADJUST TIMING AS NECESSARY AT ISSUANCE TIME. AFTER FIRST FEW HOURS WILL COVER WITH CB OR VCTS AS APPROPRIATE AS SHRA/TSRA MAY HANG AROUND THRU 10Z FRONT WASHES OUT ACROSS NRN INDIANA. COULD BE SOME MVFR FOG AFT 10Z DEPENDING ON WIND SPEEDS AND RAIN COVERAGE. FOR NOW WILL LEAVE OUT DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE. EXPECT LOW VFR CIGS OF BKN040 THRU 18Z OR SO THEN CLOUDS SHOULD BREAK OUT SOME. WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY SAT AFTN AS WELL. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION MAY POP UP ON SATURDAY BUT COVERAGE LOOKS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN TAFS ATTM. && .DISCUSSION... FORECAST FOCUS WILL BE ON CHANCE OF THUNDER TONIGHT. STRONG STORM SYSTEM NOW LIFTING INTO SOUTHERN CANADA WITH A TRAILING 500MB JET OF 50-70KTS FCST TO TRANSLATE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES/OH VALLEY THIS EVENING. THIS COMBINED WITH MIXED LAYER CAPE OF 1000-2000 J/KG WILL SET THE STAGE FOR SVR WX THIS EVENING. STREAMLINES INDICATE A CONVERGENT BOUNDARY DEVELOPING ACROSS IL SO EXPECT INTENSIFICATION TO OUR WEST THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. TEMP FCST IS BASED LARGELY ON FCST 850MB TEMPS/1000-850MB THICKNESSES. NO STRONG PREFERENCE FOR ONE MODEL OVER ANOTHER TODAY. TONIGHT...EXPECT SCT SVR STORMS TO RACE NE ACROSS SOME PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 06Z. WIND FIELDS WEAKEN CONSIDERABLY AFTER 06Z SO EXPECT SVR CHCS TO DIMINISH THEREAFTER. PREFER THE HIGHER MAV MOS RAIN CHCS TONIGHT AND WILL WORD SCT STORMS SOME SVR FOR TONIGHT. MAIN THREAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE DAMAGING WINDS GIVEN POOR MID LVL LAPSE RATES ALTHOUGH HAIL WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHIN ANY ROTATING STORM. A TORNADO OR TWO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF LOW LEVEL SHEAR AND HELICITY MAINLY ACROSS THE WESTERN COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING BUT AS MENTIONED PRIMARY THREAT SHOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS THROUGH 6Z. SAT...LINGERING SCT STORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING IN THE MORNING AS THE AREA RESIDES ON THE NW PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER RIDGE AND STRONGER WESTERLIES. SOME WAA MAY PROMOTE ELEVATED CONVECTION THROUGH MIDDAY BEFORE WARMER MID LVL TEMPS AND SUBSIDENCE STRENGTHEN. 850MB TEMPS AND THICKNESSES SUGGEST HIGHS AROUND FRIDAY/S. SAT NIGHT/SUN NIGHT...DRY BUT VERY WARM CONDS WILL PERSIST WITH NEARLY IDENTICAL MAX TEMPS EXPECTED SUN WITH HIGHS NEAR 90. HUMIDITIES WILL PUSH HEAT INDICES INTO THE UPPER 90S. MON AND TUES...NEXT COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH WITH ADDITIONAL SCT STORMS EXPECTED. SOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT SHOULD ARRIVE BY TUES WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S AND LOWER HUMIDITIES. WEDS AND BEYOND...UPPER RIDGE BUILDS SO LOOK FOR HOT TEMPS TO DEVELOP WEDS/THU. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && AVIATION...CS PUBLIC...CO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 315 PM EDT FRI JUN 6 2008 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-071915- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE- PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN- JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW- DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 315 PM EDT FRI JUN 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND IMPACT THE AREA THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREATS INCLUDE DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOODING. A TORNADO OR TWO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. ALSO REMEMBER THAT DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A HAZARD WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS. MINOR TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MANY OF THE RIVERS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. SEVERAL RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. SEE THE LATEST HYDROLOGICAL STATEMENT FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION AND MORE DETAILS REGARDING RIVER FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MANY CENTRAL INDIANA RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL BE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE THROUGH AT LEAST THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) CO
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:18 UTC.
28 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The radio operator estimated winds of 75 to 80 MPH at the Vigo/Parke county line near Atherton.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down near US 36 and 400 W. Numerous 10- to 15-inch tree limbs were down around the area.
A 32-year-old male was struck in the head by a falling tree limb as a result of thunderstorm winds. He was attempting to get to his vehicle from Weliever Field in Milligan Park.
Four healthy trees broke off at ground level and fell across the road.
Winds knocked trees down and power out.
A portion of a roof was blown onto the roadway at US 231 and US 136.
Thunderstorm winds blew 3-inch limbs down onto SR 136.
Six trees and several power poles were knocked down by thunderstorm winds.
The thunderstorm winds brought a tree down on top of an occupied car at Markland and Webster streets, trapping the occupants.
A semi truck was blown over at SR 421 and SR 47.
Ten buildings were damaged, numerous trees down, and two semi trucks blown over by thunderstorm winds. Injuries were reported but no exact number given. A barn was said to be destroyed by the thunderstorm winds, which was likely among the aforementioned damaged buildings.
Damage was spread across the northern portion of Hamilton county. Most of the damage was in a line from Sheridan to Arcadia to Omega to Aroma then out of the county to the north-northeast. Trees of different diameters were downed. About 10 structures, most of them barns, had been damaged and trees blocked several roadways. In addition two semi tractor-trailers had blown over, one at 236th Street and US 31 causing personal injury and another at 281st Street and Indiana 213, in which a tree fell on top of a semi.
A 4-inch tree limb was blown down by the thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down, which fell into a home.
Thunderstorm winds split and fell half of a large healthy tree.
Thunderstorm winds collapsed a farm building, landing on farm equipment inside, near the intersection of Division and Meridian Roads. Nearby, a large evergreen tree and large shed were damaged. A large tree blew down onto a house on North West Street. A trailer at Country Living Trailer Park was heavily damaged by a large tree. The Tipton County Jail's radio tower folded over the top of the jail. SR 19 south of Tipton was closed due to downed utility lines. Billboards were damaged and shingles were blown off a storage unit in town. Large limbs, trees, sheds, barns, and other damages were found throughout the general area.
Many trees were reported to be blown down near the the intersection of SR 37 and 900 N, blocking SR 37.
Homes, trees, utility poles and utility lines were downed by thunderstorm winds in Elwood, with the harder hit areas being at portions of SR 28W and North B, C, and D streets. Residential damage occurred at 31st Street. SR 37 between SR 128 and SR 28 was closed due to numerous utility poles and trees blocking the road. In addition to the Elwood area, utility lines and poles were down in neighboring Alexandria.
Thunderstorm winds blew a semi truck over on SR 69 at mile marker 46.
The thunderstorm winds blew two semi trucks over and caused numerous trees and power lines to fall.
Heavy rainfall totaled 0.50 inches within 15 minutes and 0.80 inches after 30 minutes. This was recorded and reported by automated equipment, referred to as a LARC, in Shakamak State Park.
Thunderstorm winds damaged the roof of Wes-Del High School and brought down tree limbs and utility lines in the immediate area. Other tree and utility line damage of a scattered nature was reported to the north from Gaston to Eaton and Shideler to Albany.
Thunderstorm winds blew a power pole and tree limbs down between 350 W and 400 E.
The Shakamak State Park LARC, an automated precipitation gauge, reported 0.90 inches of rain in just 15 minutes time...an hourly rainfall rate of 3.60 inches per hour.
The hail was accompanied by wind gusts to 50 MPH.
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, June 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: 113544, 113277, 113278, 113279, 118549, 113280, 113281, 113282, 113283, 113284, 113285, 113286, 113287, 113366, 113369, 113405, 113543, 118565, 113415, 113419, 113421, 118545, 113426, 118529, 113432, 113433, 113511, 118536, 118407, 113440, 113506, 113537, 113538, 113539, 113540, 113541.