Hail, Vermillion
- When
- September 8, 9:04 PM EST to 9:06 PM EST
- Where
- Vermillion County, Universal
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 39.620, -87.470
Hail and Damaging Wind in Indiana, September 8 to 9, 2008
Thunderstorms formed along and just north of a northeast/southeast oriented cold front, located near Saint Louis during the mid evening hours. Movement of the front and storms continued generally eastward through late evening, with storms reaching west central Indiana by 8 PM EST.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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 IND wrote it up.
Thunderstorms formed along and just north of a northeast/southeast oriented cold front, located near Saint Louis during the mid evening hours. Movement of the front and storms continued generally eastward through late evening, with storms reaching west central Indiana by 8 PM EST. Area vertical wind profiler data showed 45-50 knot 700 MB westerly flow. This, coupled with moderate...nearly surface-based instability ahead of the front, and the glancing influence of a passing trough supported a few sustained storms/supercells with severe hail/wind. Individual storms appeared to be quickly undercut by the surging cold front with large hail being the primary hazard.
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 Indianapolis, IN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 8, 6:12 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 8, 6:12 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 712 PM EDT MON SEP 8 2008 .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 0Z TAFS. COLD FNT WL MV THRU THE SITES OVER THE NEXT 6 HOURS. COULD SEE THUNDER WITH IT HOWEVER WITH BEST FORCING STAYING N AND W OF THE SITES AND NOT MUCH INSTABILITY THINK CHANCES ARE LOW ENOUGH TO LEAVE OUT. RAIN COULD LAG THE WIND SHIFT A BIT BUT NOT ENUF TO SEPARATE IN TAFS. CIGS WL FALL WITH ARRIVAL OF FNT...BUT LOWEST CIGS COULD ALSO LAG BEHIND THE WIND SHIFT AS THE BEST CONVERGENCE IS BEHIND THE FNT. POSITIVE LL RISING MOTION ALONG WITH SINKING MOTION ALOFT BEHIND THE FNT AND TURBULENT MOTION IN THE BL SHUD MAKE IDEAL CONDS FOR IFR OR LOWER CIGS BEHIND THE FNT. EXPECT THESE LOWEST CONDS TO LAST FOR AROUND 4 HOURS OR SO AND LIFT BY AROUND 14Z. FNT WL WEAKEN AS IT PROGRESSES AND THUS KBMG COULD AVOID THE PRECIP ALTOGETHER AND THE LIFR CIGS. && .PREV DISCUSSION...UPPR LVL SYS CURRENTLY OVR THE NRN PLAINS/MIDWEST XPCTD TO PROGESS EWD THRU THE GRTLKS ON TUES...AND EVENTUALLY OFF THE NEW ENGLAND CST BY WED. RATHER FLAT RDGG WL DVLP ACRS THE OH VLY IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYS. MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE MAIN DETAILS. FCST FOCUS CENTERS ON POPS EARLY IN THE SHORT RANGE PD ASSOCIATED WITH MIDWEST SYS. FOR TONIGHT...AREA OF SHWRS/TSTMS MOVG NEWD THRU NRN IL SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING SOME OF THE NW ZONES OVR THE NEXT FEW HRS BASED ON CURRENT MOVEMENT. NOT SURE HOW FAR E AREA WL PROGRESS AS DEEPER LIFT SEEMS TO BE LOCATED BACK IN THE COOLER AIR AND SFC INSTABILITY NOT ALL THAT GREAT. IN ANY EVENT...TAIL END OF LIFT WITH THE UPPR SYS XPCTD TO PUSH THRU THE LOCAL AREA LTR THIS EVEN...ALONG WITH FROPA IN THE 00Z-06Z TUES TIME FRAME. WL KEEP HI POPS GOING TONIGHT IN THE N WHERE LIFT IS BETTER...TAPERING TO CHC POPS FARTHER S. IN THE LTR PDS...WL HOLD ONTO A SML CHC POP OVR THE FAR SEN ZONES FOR EARLY TUES MORN...BUT SEEMS CHCS OF ANYTHING LINGERING IN THOSE AREAS AFT SUNRISE ARE DIMINISHING. REST OF SHORT RANGE PD INTO THURS LOOKS DRY WITH LRG SFC HI DRFTG ACRS THE GRTLKS/NEW ENGLAND. BASED ON LO LVL THICKNESSES...APPEARS NGM MOS MAY STILL BE UNDER ESTIMATING THE COOL AIR COMING IN BEHIND FNT. WL NUDGE THE GUIDANCE TEMPS DOWN A LTL TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC...JAS AVIATION...CP
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 8, 7:24 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 824 PM EDT MON SEP 8 2008 INZ028-035>037-039-043>048-051>057-060>065-067>072-091000- WARREN-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-BOONE-HAMILTON-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM- HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY- RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX- DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 824 PM EDT MON SEP 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 3 AM EDT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ021-029>031-038-040>042-049-091000- CARROLL-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-TIPTON-MADISON-DELAWARE- RANDOLPH-HENRY- 824 PM EDT MON SEP 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED ALTHOUGH DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. .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) KOCH
The radar
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:01 UTC.
Event by event
6 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Vigo
- When
- September 8, 9:07 PM EST to 9:09 PM EST
- Where
- Vigo County, 1.07 mi E of Terre Haute
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 39.470, -87.380
Hail, Hendricks
- When
- September 8, 9:45 PM EST to 9:47 PM EST
- Where
- Hendricks County, 0.53 mi E of Pittsboro
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 39.870, -86.460
Hail, Hendricks
- When
- September 8, 9:56 PM EST to 9:58 PM EST
- Where
- Hendricks County, 0.87 mi SE of Brownsburg
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 39.840, -86.390
Hail, Marion
- When
- September 8, 10:09 PM EST to 10:11 PM EST
- Where
- Marion County, 1.2 mi N of New Augusta
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 39.897, -86.227
Three quarter-inch hail was reported at both the intersection of 86th Street and Georgetown Road, as well as at 7500 North Michigan Road by amateur radio.
Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby
- When
- September 8, 11:50 PM EST
- Where
- Shelby County, 0.53 mi W of Clover Vlg
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 39.600, -85.860
Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree.
Hail, Jennings
- When
- September 9, 2:00 AM EST to 2:02 AM EST
- Where
- Jennings County, Commiskey
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 38.850, -85.650
A brief period of golfball size hail fell in Commiskey, Indiana.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Texas, September 8 to 29, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, September 8, 2008
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Nevada, September 8, 2008
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, September 8 to 9, 2008
- Flash Flood in California, September 8, 2008
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Alabama, September 8, 2008
- Hail in Illinois, September 8, 2008
- Tropical Storm in Florida, September 8 to 10, 2008
- Hail in Kansas, September 8, 2008
- Hail in Illinois, September 8, 2008
- Flooding in North Carolina, September 8 to 10, 2008
- Hail in Missouri, September 8, 2008
More
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 133061, 133063, 133065, 133066, 133067, 133068, 133079.