A warm front moved through through the area earlier in the day allowing for warm temperatures over central Indiana. Severe storms formed in advance of a cold front that moved through later at night.
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 warm front moved through through the area earlier in the day allowing for warm temperatures over central Indiana. Severe storms formed in advance of a cold front that moved through later at night. These storms contained hail and damaging thunderstorm winds. Three tornadoes also formed with these storms including one that moved through the east side of Indianapolis. Heavy rain caused flash flooding across many locations.
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 30, 5:50 PM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 650 PM EDT FRI MAY 30 2008 .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 310000Z TAF ISSUANCE. OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY EXTENDING FM NRN IND WSWWD INTO NRN MO WITH BROKEN LN OF CONVECTION DVLPG ALONG IT. SFC OBS/MODEL DATA SUGGEST THIS OUTFLOW WL SAG SEWD ACRS THE LOCAL AREA THIS EVEN. INSTABILITY AXIS LOCATED JUST TO THE SE OF DVLPG CONVECTIVE LN...SO CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO DVLP/MAINTAIN ITSELF FOR AWHILE. AS A RESULT... CONVECTIVE THREAT SHOULD BE HI OVR THE TAF SITES INTO THE OVERNIGHT HRS. APPEARS GREATEST THREAT WL GRADU SHFT SEWD THIS EVEN...PROBABLY ENDING AT THE KBMG TERMINAL BE 310700Z OR SO. BRIEF IFR/LIFR CONDS LIKELY IN THE HEAVIER CONVECTION. SYNOPTIC WND FIELD SUGGEST 30-40KT SFC WND GUSTS PROBABLE WITH THE CONVECTION AS WELL...HOWEVER LOCALIZED HIGHER GUSTS PSBL WITH ANY SVR CONVECTION. NOT SEEING A LOT OF LO CLD COVER DVLPG BEHIND CONVECTIVE LN...SO XPCTG CIGS GENERALLY ABV 050 AFT CONVECTIVE LN PASSES. && .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/ MAIN CHALLENGE WL BE TIMING/CVRG AND INTENSITY OR TRWS ACRS THE FA TNGT AND INTO SATURDAY. REGIONAL RADAR WAS SHOWING TRWS EXTENDING FM THE LWR GT LKS TO NRN MO. MODELS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR IN DRAGGING CD FNT SE ACRS CNTRL INDIANA OVERNGT AS UPR TROF SWINGS E ACRS THE GT LKS AND OH VLY. ILX SOUNDING REVEALED FAIRLY STG CAP BUT CONTINUED HEATING AND FNT AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES GETTING CLOSER ALONG WITH MODEL SOUNDING 3000 J/KG CAPES SHOULD TRIGGER WIDESPREAD TRWS ACRS THE FA ESP AFT 00Z AS A SEVERE SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH WITH PLNTY OF DYNAMICS AS 50 KT LOW LVL JET AND 70 KT H5 JET MOVE ACRS CNTRL IN AND 100 KT 250 MB JET MOVES ACRS THE GT LKS. SO...WL GO WITH LIKELY TO OCCASIONAL POPS TNGT AND MENTION HEAVY RAIN AND SVR IN ZONES WITH FA ALL IN MODERATE RISK. FNT TO MOV ACRS OUR SRN ZONES ON SATUDAY MRNG. KEPT SMALL CHC IN WITH CAPES AGAIN BECOMING RATHER UNSTABLE AROUND 2000 J/KG. ACTIVITY SHOULD BE ENDING SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS SFC HIGH PRES BUILDS IN. MOS TEMPS PRETTY CLOSE AND APPEAR REASONABLE GIVEN LOW LVL THERMAL PROGS AND EXPECTED CLD CVR. && .LONG TERM.../SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/ FORECAST FOCUS IS CHANCES FOR RAIN THRU THE PD. ECMWF AND GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH GFS INCONSISTENT ON ITS SOLUTIONS AS OF LATE. THUS WENT CLOSE TO A BLEND OF ECMWF/GFS MEAN WHICH IS ALSO CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE. CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL RETURN ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AS STRONG WARM ADVECTION BEGINS ALOFT. ISENTROPIC PROGS SHOW LIFT ALONG WITH SOME MOISTURE AT MID LEVELS. THUS ADDED POPS ACROSS SWRN FA DURING THE AFTN. CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL THEN CONTINUE THRU MUCH OF THE PD AS A FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA AND STALLS OUT. CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH ON ANY TIMING THAT FAR OUT BUT WENT HIGHER POPS DURING THE DAY WHERE MORE INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT. DID GO DRY ON FRI WITH ECMWF SHOWING RIDGING ALOFT DOMINATING. WENT CLOSE TO HPC NUMBERS FOR HIGHS DURING THE PD WHICH SHOULD BE NEAR AVERAGE FOR EARLY JUNE. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MK LONG TERM...CS AVIATION...JAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 316 PM EDT FRI MAY 30 2008 INZ031-038>042-045>049-052>057-060>065-067>072-311000- HOWARD-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS- MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH- SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS- MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 316 PM EDT FRI MAY 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. THE GREATEST THREAT FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. BUT LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO A POSSIBILITY...IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL ENCOUNTER A WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AFTER 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE LATE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE AFTER 9 PM THIS EVENING WHEN THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST INTO INDIANA. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BE GREATEST BETWEEN 9 PM AND 3 AM EDT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SATURDAY...AND THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AREAS SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS ON SATURDAY. THERE WILL BE CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WHILE IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...REMEMBER THAT DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A THREAT IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA THIS EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ021-028>030-035>037-043-044-051-311000- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-BOONE- VERMILLION-PARKE-VIGO- 316 PM EDT FRI MAY 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. THE GREATEST THREAT FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. BUT LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO A POSSIBILITY...IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL ENCOUNTER A WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE LATE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE AFTER 9 PM THIS EVENING WHEN THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST INTO INDIANA. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BE GREATEST BETWEEN 9 PM AND 3 AM EDT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SATURDAY...AND THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AREAS SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS ON SATURDAY. THERE WILL BE CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WHILE IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...REMEMBER THAT DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A THREAT IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA AFTER 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:59 UTC.
29 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 5 hail, 4 tornado, 3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Substantial tree damage occurred due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A couple of trees sustained damage as a result of a supercell that formed a tornado that briefly touched down near a field. Wind speeds were around 65 mph based on damage indicators.
An observer reported flash flooding in Tippecanoe County.
Trees were reported down across the county due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Shingles were also reported off of a roof.
A covered bridge sustained damage due to thunderstorm winds.
Eight to ten inch tree limbs were down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Trash dumpsters were also overturned.
Three foot tree limbs were off trees due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Power lines and tree limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A trained spotter observed flash flooding 3 miles south of Waynestown in Montgomery County.
Half inch tree limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Tree limbs were down and structural damage occurred to a house due to large damaging hail.
Lightning struck a house in Fishers causing extensive fire, heat, and smoke damage. The first floor collapsed into the basement.
An eight inch tree was blown down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Numerous structures were damaged in Marion County with the hardest hit area being an apartment complex near 38th Street and Mitthoefer Road. The tornado was associated with an embedded supercell that was overtaken by a line. Based on damage indicators, wind speeds were estimated around 125 mph. This tornado formed near 42nd Street and Post Road and tracked southeastward for 3.1 miles before exiting Marion County on North County Line Road 500 meters south of East 38th Street. The tornado continued in Hancock County. While in Marion County the tornado was rated EF-2 and while in Hancock County the tornado was rated EF-1. The tornado continued to the southeast in Hancock County for 4.0 miles. This made the entire path length 7.1 miles. The width of the tornado while in Hancock County was 100 yards and lasted from 2132 until 2136. Overall, the tornado was on the ground from 2127 until 2136. The tornado lifted in Hancock County 500 feet south of West 200 North on North 400 West. While in Hancock County the tornado damaged barns, houses, billboards, trees, and powerlines.
One home was completely destroyed fire caused by a lightning strike, while another home received heavy fire damage.
The tornado began in Marion County at 2127 near 42nd Street and Post Road and tracked southeastward for 3.1 miles before exiting Marion County. The tornado exited Marion County at 2132 and entered Hancock County on North County Line Road, 500 meters south of East 38th Street. The tornado continued in Hancock County for 4.0 miles until lifting at 2136, 500 feet south of West 200 North on North 400 West. The tornado was rated EF-2 while in Marion County with a width of 150 yards and winds of 125 mph. The tornado was rated EF-1 while in Hancock County with a width of 100 yards and winds near 100 mph. Numerous structures were damaged in Marion County with the hardest hit area being an apartment complex near 38th Street and Mittthoefer Road. While in Hancock County, the tornado damaged barns, houses, billboards, trees, and powerlines. The tornado was associated with an embedded supercell that was overtaken by a line.
Wind speeds with this tornado were around 100 mph based on damage indicators. Multiple structures had damage including farm buildings and houses.
Law enforcement reported structural damage due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A roof was blown off of a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A trained spotter observed flash flooding occurring with deep ditches flooding.
A tree was blown onto a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Portions of State Road 9 and various county roads had to be shut down due fallen utility poles, limbs, and power lines.
A driver with two small children in the car became trapped in flash flood water on Broadway Street, but was later freed without incident.
A small barn, trees, and powerlines were knocked down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A house sustained damage due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Six to seven inch tree limbs were down and there was no power in town due to the storm.
Two trucks, a trailer, camper, and a Bobcat were damaged from thunderstorm winds that moved through Knightstown.
Fields and county roads were flooded county wide due to flash flooding.
Numerous limbs and parts of trees were in roads due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Trees and limbs were reported down in addition to structural damage caused by damaging thunderstorm winds.
Water was running over Interstate 465 and cars were abandoned due to flash flooding.
An eight inch tree limb was reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Lightning struck a home and caused a fire to begin on the rear corner of the home. The winds caught the home next door on fire. A third house had minor damage from the fire.
Small trees and limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Large tree limbs were down and a fence was blown over due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
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: 95940, 101228, 102051, 95942, 95943, 102042, 95944, 95945, 95946, 95947, 95948, 95949, 102055, 95950, 95951, 102044, 95954, 95955, 95956, 101232, 102043, 102014, 100488, 95957, 95959, 95960, 95961, 102058, 95962, 102064, 96017, 102068, 96018, 96019, 96020, 102030, 96022, 102060, 96023, 96024, and more.