A line of thunderstorms pushed into Western Indiana during the early evening hours on the 19th. Also, a few isolated storms were out ahead of the line in Central 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.
A line of thunderstorms pushed into Western Indiana during the early evening hours on the 19th. Also, a few isolated storms were out ahead of the line in Central Indiana. As the line of storms pushed into the central portion of the state, numerous thunderstorm wind damage and gust observations were reported.
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 Aug 19, 5:30 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 630 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 200000Z TAF ISSUANCE. ORGANIZED TSTM COMPLEX CURRENTLY PUSHING NEWD THRU ERN IL AHEAD OF A CONVECTIVE VORT MAX OVR NWRN IL. OTHER MORE SCT CONVECTION EXISTS ACRS THE REST OF THE AREA. BEST FORCING WL PASS ACRS THE KLAF TERMINAL...SO THAT AREA MOST LIKELY TO BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS COMPLEX. CONVECTION MORE SCT IN NATURE ALONG THE TAIL END OF THE VORT MAX...BUT ADDITIONAL DVLPMT ALONG THE VORT TAIL PSBL OVR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HRS AS IT MOVES INTO AN INSTABILITY AXIS OVR EC IL/SWRN IND. OVERALL CONVECTIVE THREAT PRETTY HIGH ACRS ALL THE TERMINALS TIL ABOUT 200300Z WHEN VORT MAX PASSES OFF TO THE NE. BRIEF IFR/SFC WND GUSTS TO ARND 40KTS XPCTD WITH THE CONVECTIVE LN WITH CB BASES ARND 030. MAY BE A LULL IN THE CONVECTIVE THREAT LTR TONIGHT WITH SINKING MOTIONS IN THE WAKE OF VORT MAX...ALTHOUGH WITH DECENT 850MB FLOW XPCTD OVERNIGHT...CAN/T RULE IT OUT TOTALLY. CONVECTIVE THREAT MAY INCREASE TOWARDS/AFT 201200Z WITH THE APPROACH OF CDFNT. OUTSIDE OF CONVECTIVE ACTVTY...GENERALLY VFR CONDS XPCTD...ALTHOUGH CONTINUED WARM/MOIST ADVECTION MAY LEAD TO SOME MVFR CIGS TOWARDS 201200Z. && .DISCUSSION... RADAR SHOWS SCT TSRA SLOWLY INCREASING IN NUMBERS/INTENSITY BOTH ALONG WRM FNT IN NRN FCST AREA AND IN WRM SECTOR. OTHER SVR STORMS IN TORNADO WATCH BOX OVER WC IL. FCST PROBLEM IS TIMING OF PCPN EVENTS COMING 48 HRS. GFS APPEARS TO HAVE SOME FEEDBACK WITH CNTRL IL CONVECTION THIS EVENING WHICH MOVES TO CNTRL IN OVRNGT. PREFER NAM12 PCPN AND FNTL SOLNS WITH SVRL DISTINCT PERIODS OF STORMS THRU THUR EVE. AS FOR TEMPS NAM MOS APPEARS BIT TOO COOL GIVEN EXPECTED CLD COVER AND THICKNESSES SO WL LEAN SLGTLY TOWARD MAV MOS. SCT TSRA CURRENTLY DVLPG OCCURRING AHEAD OF MINOR SHORT WAVE LIFTING NE OUT OF SW IN. STRONG CONVECTION OVR WRN IL SHOULD DVLP FURTHER SOUTH AS LINE TRACKS NE. COMBINATION OF CURRENT CONVECTION IN CNTRL IN AND CENTRAL IL TO MEAN PERIODS OF SCT STRONG TSRA TO BE THE RULE THRU THIS EVENING WITH A LULL BY LATE EVENING AS ALL ACTION PUSHES TO SRN GRT LKS. MEANWHILE CURRENT CONVECTION IN CNTRL IA AND ERN KS FCST BY MODELS TO BECOME LARGE ACTIVE TSRA COMPLEX TO PUSH INTO IL LATE TONIGHT WITH MODERATE WIND SHEAR AND CAPES TO 2000 SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUATION THRU THE NIGHT. STRONGER 85H WIND FIELDS THAT SUPPORT THIS WL WEAKEN BY DAYBREAK AS LINE MOVES INTO INDIANA IN DYING PHASE. SCT STORMS TO BE THE RULE FOR THE MORNING FOLLOWED BY DRY SLOTTING WITH SOME SUNSHINE MIDDAY BEFORE CDFNT TRIGGERS MORE STORMS BY MID AFTERNOON TO MOVE ACROSS FCST AREA LATE AFTN AND MUCH OF THU NGT. DEEPENING UPR TROF TO DEVELOP MO CLDY SKIES FOR FRI WITH SCT SHOWERS. MORE SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE INTO AS LATE AS SATURDAY BEFORE UPPER TROF CLEARS. BUILDING HI PRESS TO BRING FAIR SKIES AND COOL TEMPS FOR FIRST HAVE OF NEXT WEEK. NEXT FNT DUE IN WEEK FROM NOW. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && AVIATION...JAS PUBLIC...DT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 641 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-201000- 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- 641 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1 AM EDT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE DURING THE EVENING. DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON THURSDAY. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE...WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED THEN. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 257 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 INZ046-047-054-055-191930- HENDRICKS-JOHNSON-MARION-MORGAN- 257 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR MARION...NORTHEASTERN MORGAN... NORTHWESTERN JOHNSON AND SOUTHEASTERN HENDRICKS COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM EDT... AT 255 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE INDIANAPOLIS METRO AREA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... SOUTHPORT AROUND 305 PM EDT... MONUMENT CIRCLE AROUND 315 PM EDT... BEECH GROVE AROUND 320 PM EDT... INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS AROUND 325 PM EDT... RYAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 327 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 INZ048-192000- HANCOCK- 327 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN HANCOCK COUNTY UNTIL 400 PM EDT... AT 326 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEW PALESTINE...OR 12 MILES EAST OF INDIANAPOLIS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... SPRING LAKE AROUND 340 PM EDT... GREENFIELD AROUND 350 PM EDT... JAS
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:46 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm wind gust of 66 miles per hour was measured in Pine Village.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to be between 60 and 70 miles per hour at this location. A funnel cloud was also reported.
A tree was reported downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts in this location.
Power lines were blown down due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a tree across State Route 43 between US Route 52 and State Route 443 near the Purdue University campus.
Trees were downed in this location due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
A one and a half foot diameter dead tree was blown down as the gust front from a thunderstorm came through the area.
Numerous trees were knocked down due to thunderstorm winds as the bow echo pushed across the area. Power lines due to trees laying on them.
Trees were downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts in this location.
Thunderstorm wind gusts down trees near Colfax at County Road 700 West and County Road 300 South.
Trees were reported down in this location due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down due to thunderstorm wind gusts along Division Street near County Roads 550 West and 525 West.
Trees were downed near County Roads 700 West and 75 South due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
The NBC affiliate in Indianapolis reported that a man was struck by lightning as he and his son were walking from the car to the house, which was located in the 400 block of South Butler Avenue. A nearby tree was also struck and destroyed. The man was rushed to Wishard Hospital, where he was expected to recover.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, August 2009
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: 192793, 192794, 193754, 192802, 192807, 193755, 192804, 192809, 193756, 192810, 193757, 193759, 193761, 193763.