Flooding in Indiana, September 13 to 16, 2008

Name: Flooding in Indiana, September 13 to 16, 2008
Start: 2008-09-13T06:10
End: 2008-09-16T05:00
Location: Indiana

September 13 to 16, 2008 · NWS IWX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lowell and Hurricane Ike moved into the region and interacted with a stationary boundary to bring heavy rainfall to portions of northern Indiana starting on the 11th, extending into the early morning hours of the 15th. Several areas received six to as much as 12 inches of rain, especially across portions of Laporte, St Joseph and Elkhart counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS IWX wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 13, 5:15 AM CST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 5:15 AM CST, 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
715 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

.SHORT TERM...
WAVE OVER CENTRAL PLAINS LIFTING NE ALONG STNRY FRONT THIS
MORNING. WARM FRONT DVLPG FROM THE LOW OVER IA TO CENTRAL INDIANA
WITH BACKING/INCRSG LOW LEVEL FLOW RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD
SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY OVER NRN IL/IN ATTM. STRONG SHEAR OVER THE
AREA AND LOW LCL/S SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES WITH THESE
STORMS AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING.
ALSO EFFECTIVE RAIN PROCESS WITH HIGH FREEZING LEVELS AND TROPICAL
AIRMASS ALONG WITH SMALL MBE VECTORS SUGGESTS THREAT FOR HEAVY
RAINFALL. THUS...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED BY SPC EARLIER... AND FLOOD
WATCH EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE TODAY PERIOD. BY MID AFTN CWA SHOULD
BREAK INTO WARM SECTOR ALLOWING FOR A LITTLE BETTER
DESTABILIZATION WITH HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR SFC BASED STORMS.
HWVR...LIMITING FACTOR WILL BE LACK OF FORCING BY THAT TIME. GIVEN
CONTINUED STRONG SHEAR AND LOW LCLS AND POTENTIAL FOR SCT TSTMS TO
POP UP DURING PEAK HEATING CONTD TO MENTION CHC SVR STORMS THROUGH
THE AFTN.

TONIGHT THE CDFNT WILL SAG SE INTO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF LOW
LIFTING INTO THE UPR GRTLKS. CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
FRONT WILL PROVIDE FORCING FOR MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
GFS/ECMWF IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON MOVEMENT/TRANSITION OF HURRICANE
IKE TO AN EXTRA-TROPICAL CYCLONE AND PREFERRED OVER WEAKER/SLOWER
NAM SOLUTION. THUS EXPECT FRONT TO STALL FROM WRN LAKE ERIE TO
CENTRAL INDIANA WITH REMNANTS OF IKE MOVG RAPIDLY NE ALONG IT
CAUSING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER MUCH OF OUR CWA SUNDAY. CONTD FLOOD WATCH
FOR NW PORTION OF CWA WHERE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN
CONTS. AS SYSTEM LIFTS NE OF AREA SUNDAY NIGHT RAINFALL SHOULD END
FROM W-E OVERNIGHT.

&&

.LONG TERM...
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

VERY LITTLE CHANGES MADE TO ONGOING FORECAST. MAJORITY OF THE
PERIOD WILL BE DOMINATED BY SFC RIDING IN RESPONSE TO A BUILDING
ROCKIES RIDGE. NOT MANY SIGNALS TO LOCK ONTO TO WARRANT ANY MAJOR
CHANGES TO THE GRIDS. COOL START WILL BE IN STORE FOR THE WEEK
BEHIND A DEPARTING UPPER TROUGH...WHICH WILL HAVE MERGED WITH IKE/S
REMNANTS. FAST SUBSIDENT WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE ROCKIES IN THE
NORTHERN TIER OF THE CONUS WILL ADVECT EAST...AND ALLOW SLIGHTLY
WARMER CONDITIONS EACH DAY LOCALLY. HAVE OPTED TO CONTINUE THE TREND
OF TEMPS SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL BY MID WEEK ON...AS FORECAST MODELS
AND ENSEMBLES SHIFT THE UPPER RIDGE EAST PER AN ADVANCING UPPER
TROUGH ACROSS THE PAC NW. THERE IS SOME INDICATION BY THE ECMWF/A
FEW GEFS MEMBERS/AND THE GFS THAT A CUT OFF LOW MAY DEVELOP OVER THE
SOUTHERN US AND POSSIBLY MEANDER NORTH BY LATE WEEK. HOWEVER...GIVEN
LOW CONFIDENCE PER PERIOD AND TYPE OF SYSTEM...WILL KEEP THE STATUS
QUO.

HAVE LOWERED HIGHS A FEW DEGREES MONDAY PER THE LATEST GUIDANCE AND
CONSENSUS OF H85 TEMPS...AND GIVEN EXPANSIVE CLOUD COVER.
OTHERWISE...EXPECT MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD....FAVORING COOL NIGHTS AND
DECENT DIURNAL SWINGS.

&&

.AVIATION...
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS CONTG TO MOVE ACROSS FAR NRN INDIANA AHD OF WARM
FRONT. APPEARS BULK OF ACTIVITY IS LIFTING NORTH OF FWA ATTM AND
EXPECT WITH FRONT MOVG SLOWLY NORTH PRECIP WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF
AT SBN AFTER 15Z WITH CIGS/VSBYS IMPROVING TO NEAR VFR BY THEN. SCT
TSRA MAY REDEVELOP IN THE WARM SECTOR AS AIRMASS WILL BE VERY MOIST
AND DESTABILIZING THIS AFTN...BUT EXPECTED LACK OF SGFNT FORCING IN
THIS AREA PRECLUDES MENTIONING ANYTHING MORE THAN CB IN TAF ATTM. AS
LOW MOVES INTO UPR GRTLKS TNGT CDFNT WILL SAG SE INTO NRN
INDIANA...WITH ACCOMPANYING MOISTURE CONVERGENCE LIKELY CAUSING TSRA
WITH MVFR CONDITIONS OR PSBLY LOWER.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR INZ003>009-012>017-020-
     022>024.

MI...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR MIZ077>081.

OH...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR OHZ001-002.

LM...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM/AVIATION...JT
LONG TERM...CHAMBERLAIN

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 13, 2:47 AM CST, 3 hours 23 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
447 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

INZ004>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ078>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-140900-
ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE-PULASKI-
MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-
WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY-CASS MI-
ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-
PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH BEND...MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...
GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...
AUBURN...GARRETT...KNOX...NORTH JUDSON...WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...
PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...ROCHESTER...WARSAW...WINONA LAKE...
COLUMBIA CITY...SOUTH WHITLEY...FORT WAYNE...MONTICELLO...
BROOKSTON...LOGANSPORT...PERU...WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...
HUNTINGTON...BLUFFTON...OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...
HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...
STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON...
ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA...
PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA
447 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008 /347 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO...
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT.
THE STORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. AN ISOLATED SEVERE
STORM WITH DAMAGING WINDS OR EVEN A BRIEF TORNADO IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SUNDAY. ISOLATED
SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY SOUTH OF U.S. ROUTE 6.

HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED AGAIN SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. RAINFALL
TOTALS AROUND 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY MONDAY WITH HEAVIEST
AMOUNTS NORTH OF A PERU TO ANGOLA LINE. LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS MAY BE FLOODED...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME RIVER FLOODING
DEVELOPING ON OR BEYOND MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

INZ003-LMZ043-046-MIZ077-140900-
LA PORTE-NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-
MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI-BERRIEN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...NILES...
BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN
447 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008 /347 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA...
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT.
THE STORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. AN ISOLATED SEVERE
STORM WITH DAMAGING WINDS OR EVEN A BRIEF TORNADO IS ALSO
POSSIBLE. THERE IS ALSO AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG
THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SUNDAY. THE STORMS ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED AGAIN SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. RAINFALL
TOTALS AROUND 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY MONDAY. LOW LYING
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS MAY BE FLOODED...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
SOME RIVER FLOODING DEVELOPING ON OR BEYOND MONDAY.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 13, 1:08 AM CST, 5 hours 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
308 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

INZ023>025-032-130745-
GRANT IN-HUNTINGTON IN-MIAMI IN-WABASH IN-
308 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 307 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF LA FONTAINE...OR 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
PERU...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 42 MPH.

WINDS GUSTS TO 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND
BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  WABASH...
  HUNTINGTON...
  LA FONTAINE...
  ANDREWS...
  SOMERSET...
  TREATY...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.

SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM EDT SATURDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHERN INDIANA. $$

Special weather statement, Sep 13, 1:30 AM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
330 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

INZ013-020-130745-
PULASKI IN-WHITE IN-
330 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

AT 326 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WOLCOTT...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF RENSSELAER...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 31 MPH.

ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  MONON...LEE AND REYNOLDS...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.

SEEK SHELTER UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM EDT SATURDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHERN INDIANA. $$

JC

Local storm report, Sep 13, 3:29 AM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
529 AM EDT SAT SEP 13 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0520 AM     HEAVY RAIN       2 SW LA PORTE           41.59N  86.74W
09/13/2008  M2.03 INCH       LA PORTE           IN   COCORAHS

            3 HOUR TOTAL ENDING AT 520 AM EDT...MINOR FLOODING

&&

EVENT NUMBER IWX0801813

JC

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, La Porte

When: September 13, 6:10 AM CST to September 16, 4:00 AM CST
Where: La Porte County, 2.25 mi NNW of Lake Park to 0.39 mi WNW of Mill Creek
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.752, -86.539

Spotters and emergency management officials reported several road closures across the northern part of the county. The road closures included US 25 and 35. Rainfall amounts of eight to over 11 inches were recorded, with the highest amount in the Laporte area where 11.20 inches was noted. No injuries were reported. Exact damage figures were not available.

Flood, St. Joseph

When: September 13, 8:42 AM EST to September 16, 5:00 AM EST
Where: St. Joseph County, 2.81 mi NE of Chain O Lakes to 1.07 mi NW of Whartons
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 41.747, -86.339

Law enforcement and emergency management officials reported several roads closed due to high water over them from rainfall amounts of 6 to locally as high as 11 inches, which was in the Grainger area. No injuries were reported. Exact damage figures were not available.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Indiana in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, September 2008

Sources

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: 136591, 136592.