A series of storms moved across central Indiana producing heavy rainfall and a tornado.
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.
A series of storms moved across central Indiana producing heavy rainfall and a tornado.
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 May 27, 1:17 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 217 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008 .AVIATION... DISCUSSION FOR THE 00Z TAFS LOW PRESSURE RIDING ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN KY WILL KEEP RAIN AND PERIODS OF MVFR CIGS/VIS ACROSS HUF/IND/BMG THROUGH 4Z. PRECIP SHOULD EXIT THE AREA BY 06Z WITH VFR CONDS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AS NE SFC WINDS DRAW DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION. A NE SFC WIND SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH WEDS. && .DISCUSSION... FORECAST FOCUS WILL BE ON TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS WEEK UNTIL THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN BY FRIDAY. THE CURRENT SURFACE MAP SHOWS THAT A COLD FRONT HAS SETTLED ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHERN REACHES OF THE FORECAST AREA. A DETAILED SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE FRONT APPEARS TO BE JUST SOUTH OF BMG BUT NOT TO LWV YET. THE MID LEVEL FLOW PATTERN AT H5 SHOWS A RIDGE DOMINATING THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE CONUS...WITH A RATHER DEEP TROUGH OVER SOUTHEASTERN CANADA AND A BROAD TROUGH OFF THE WEST COAST. THE MODELS WERE QUITE SIMILAR IN WHAT IS A RATHER BENIGN WEATHER PATTERN FOR MOST OF THIS WEEK AND A BLEND OF GUIDANCE VALUES WAS USED. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SINK SOUTH AS HIGH PRESSURE FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS DROPS SOUTH INTO THE LAKES REGION. THIS SHOULD HELP TO GRADUALLY CLEAR SKIES AND BRING DRIER AIR IN. BUT WILL HANG ON TO LOW POPS ALMOST EVERYWHERE THROUGH 03Z AND THEN JUST IN THE FAR SOUTH AFTER 03Z. THEN THE DRIER AIR WILL WIN OUT ACROSS THE NORTH. LOWS IN THE LOW 40S NORTH AND MID 50S SOUTH WITH QUITE A GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY...THE SURFACE HIGH WILL SETTLE OVER THE CHICAGO AREA AS THE H5 RIDGE STRENGTHENS OVER THE AREA. THE RESULT SHOULD BE A QUIET AND PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY DAY. H8 TEMPS OF +10 TO +12C WILL GIVE HIGHS AROUND 70...AS THE SURFACE HIGH AND POOR MIXING WILL KEEP THE TEMPERATURES FROM REACHING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. ANOTHER COOL NIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT WITH THE HIGH OVERHEAD AND LOWS IN THE 40S ACROSS THE AREA. THINGS WILL START TO WARM UP BY THURSDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES EAST AND SETS UP RETURN FLOW. THIS SHOULD SEND TEMPS INTO THE MIDDLE 70S. FOR THE OVERNIGHT THERE WILL BE A VORT MAX RIDING ON THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE RIDGE AND THIS WILL GENERATE SOME NOCTURNAL CONVECTION BUT THIS IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN WELL NORTH OF THE AREA. ON FRIDAY THE RIDGE WILL START TO COLLAPSE AT H5 AND A SURFACE LOW WILL BE DROPPING SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THERE MAY BE SOME LATE DAY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE FAR NORTHWEST BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE OVERNIGHT FRIDAY AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH. THE GFS SHOWS CONTINUED CHANCES OF RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO START NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER STRONG RIDGE ALOFT WILL PUSH IN. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && AVIATION...CO PUBLIC...JOHNSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 226 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-281830- 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- 226 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A HAZARD WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ060>065-067>072-281830- SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS- MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 226 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...PRIMARILY SOUTH OF A BLOOMINGTON TO COLUMBUS LINE AFTER 200 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED BUT VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. LOCALIZED FLOODING COULD RESULT IN THE HEAVIEST STORMS. STORMS SHOULD DIMINISH BY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A HAZARD WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) LJ
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:11 UTC.
9 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flooding was reported between Mitchell and Bedford due to heavy rain.
A county sheriff witnessed a tornado in an open field. No damage occurred with the tornado.
Flash flooding was reported on Wheatland Avenue in Bicknell due to heavy rain.
Flash flooding was reported on State Road 58 near Kurtz and the South Fork of Salt Creek due to heavy rain.
Water was covering one lane each way on State Road 37 between Mitchell and Bedford. The flash flooding that was caused by heavy rain was near the Marion Township Fire Department.
Water was covering portions of Bartlettsville Road. This flash flooding was due to heavy rain.
Part of State Road 54 near Avoca was reported to be damaged with parts of the road moving in the flood waters. Water was also approaching a few homes. This flash flooding was caused by heavy rain.
Water was covering County Road 800 North between County Road 725 and County Road 100 East. Flash flooding was also occurring on State Road 258 between County Road 100 West and County Road 190 West due to heavy rain.
Water was flowing over County Road 750 North at Saint Michaels Road. The flash flooding was caused by heavy rain.
State Road 258 between Base Line Road and County Road 100 East was flooded due to heavy rain. County Road 1040 East was also closed between County Road 340 North and County Road 400 North. Vehicles were stuck in both locations, requiring law enforcement to assist in rescues.
Previous heavy rainfall caused flooding of to occur east of New Farmington near County Road 1040 East. Vehicles were in the flood waters.
Street flooding occurred in Bicknell due to heavy rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2008Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 104084, 93301, 104086, 104089, 104091, 104094, 104099, 104102, 104106, 104108, 104126, 104128.