All modes of severe weather were noted during this event. Hail was the primary threat from the scattered early event storms.
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.
All modes of severe weather were noted during this event. Hail was the primary threat from the scattered early event storms. Then, the bow echo pushed across Central Indiana producing widespread wind damage. A brief tornado even caused some damage where the bow echo met the east-west orientated line of scattered storms in Central Indiana. Heavy rain and flooding, some of it flash flooding, were also widely observed across the region.
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 4, 1:20 AM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 220 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 .DISCUSSION...RADAR SHOWS ISOLATED TSRA OVER CENTRAL IL PUSHING EAST TOWARD INDIANA EARLY THIS MORNING...PROBABLY IN RESPONSE TO SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS FOUND ACRS CENTRAL WI ACRS KS TO LOW PRES IN CENTRAL KS. AIR MASS ACRS CENTRAL INDIANA IS MORE MOIST AND AND WARMER THAN 24HRS AGO...BY ABOUT 10 DEGREES...WITH TEMPS IN THE LOWER 70S AND DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 60S. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE TDY WL BE POPS. MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE OVERALL PATTERN AND WL USE A BLEND. FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO SAG TOWARD INDIANA TODAY AND KEEP A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE ACRS THE FA. ONGOING TSRA DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DIMINISH LATER THIS MORNING AS ISENTROPIC LIFT IS LOST. LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS MAX HEATING OCCURS IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S...FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW VERY GOOD INSTABILITY WITH OBSCENE CAPE NEAR 4K J/KG AND LI'S BETWEEN -6 AND -9 DEPENDING UPON YOUR FAVORITE MODEL CHOICE. BIG CAVEAT IS SHEAR...IT IS MINIMAL. FURTHERMORE CONVECTIVE TEMPS ARE IN THE UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THOSE LEVELS IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE WEEKS. STILL GIVEN THE ABOVE INSTABILITY AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE AREA WL CONTINUE TO CARRY PCPN CHCS. ONGOING FORECAST POPS OF 40 SEEM QUITE APPROPRIATE. BASED UPON H8 TEMPS...WL LEAN 1-2 DEGREES COOLER THAN MAVMOS ON HIGHS TDY. LINGERING DAYTIME CONVECTION COULD LINGER IN TO THE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT AND WL NEED TO CONTINUE TO CARRY POPS. EVEN AT 06Z WED...CAPES REMAIN OVER 3K J/KG WITH LI'S NEAR -7 TO -8. TIME SECTIONS SHOW LOWER LVL MOISTURE IS ABUNDANT. THE PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF SHEAR...AND THE WEAK FLOW ALOFT. H8 SHOWS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF A NOCTURNAL JET THAT MIGHT DRIVE STORMS. THUS WL CONTINUE A LOW CHC POP AND STICK CLOSE TO THE MAVMOS FOR LOWS AS THEY APPEAR VERY REASONABLE GIVEN MOIST DEW POINT TEMPS. NORTHWEST FLOW UPPER FLOW CONTINUES ON WED AND WED NIGHT WHILE WARM AND MOIST AIR IS IN PLACE AT THE SFC. FORECAST SOUNDINGS STILL INDICATE FAVORABLE CAPE AND LI/S ALBEIT NOT AS FAVORABLE AS TUESDAY. GIVEN THIS WL STILL INCLUDE SOME LOW CHC POPS FOR TSRA. WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN H8 TEMPS WL LEAN TOWARD PERSISTENCE FOR HIGHS WHICH MIGHT BE 1-2 DEGREES COOLER THAN THE MAVMOS. WL AGAIN STICK CLOSE TO THE MAVMOS FOR LOWS. BASED UPON THE ONGOING PATTERN CAN FIND LITTLE REASON TO NOT INCLUDE POPS AGAIN ON THURSDAY. WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL STILL BE IN PLACE...ALONG WITH THE UPPER RIDGE ACRS THE ROCKIES...SPILLING WEAK SHORT WAVES TOWARD INDIANA IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW. NOT TO MENTION THE LINGERING SFC BOUNDARY ACRS SRN INDIANA. THUS WL KEEP LOW CHC POPS IN THE FORECAST ALONG WITH PERSISTENCE TYPE HIGH TEMPS. && .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR THE 06Z TAFS SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AS 850 MB JET INCREASES. THERE IS PRETTY GOOD ISENTROPIC LIFTING AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD INCREASE OVERNIGHT WITH MOST OF THESE MOVING TOWARDS SW INDIANA. FARTHER NORTH TIMING IS MORE UNCERTAIN AS ISENTROPIC LIFT IS WEAKER THIS MORNING. AIR MASS IS VERY UNSTABLE DURING THE DAY TUESDAY AND A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO CENTRAL INDIANA TUESDAY EVENING. THERE WILL BE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...BUT WITH LOW CHANCES AND LOTS OF UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING WILL MENTION CB IN KBMG AND KHUF DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD AND KIND AND KLAF AFTER 14Z TUESDAY. WL ALSO HAVE TO TAKE A LAST SECOND LOOK TO SEE IF THE WCNTRL IL STORMS HOLD TOGETHER AND STAY ON TRACK AND THUS MAY NEED TO ADD CB'S OVERNGT TO IND. EXCEPT FOR THE FEW THUNDERSTORMS...VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE THE RULE. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && AVIATION...JH/MK PUBLIC...PUMA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 350 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-050800- 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- 350 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. ANY STORMS THAT DO BECOME SEVERE ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL AND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER LIGHTNING IS A THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE ON THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) PUMA
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:57 UTC.
29 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 2 flood, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm hail, the size of ping pong balls was observed at 15th Street and Grand Avenue in New Castle.
Golf ball sized hail was reported by law enforcement in Spencer.
The time this event occurred is estimated.
A spotter reported a feed mill and several barns flattened in Tampico due to thunderstorm wind gusts. The time of this report was estimated.
Trees were downed near State Route 250 and County Road 950 West due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
State police reported multiple road closings across northwest Jackson County due to flash flooding. Several residences were reported flooded as well. One mobile home was rolled due to the flash flooding as well.
The Decatur County EMA reported water over roadways located across the central and southern portion of the county. Rainfall rates of over two inches per hour were also observed.
A ham radio operator reported 6 to 8 inches or more of water over 56th Street just east of Ronald Reagan Parkway.
Law enforcement reported a tree downed near the intersection of Bethel and Riverside Road due to thunderstorm wind gusts. A motorcyclist was involved in an accident with the tree and had to be transported to the hospital.
A full tree, 18 inches in diameter, was downed east of New Goshen due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees, including one against a house, were downed in Attica due to thunderstorm wind gusts. Power was also out to parts of Attica.
The roof was reportedly lifted off a building on State Route 63 near Prairieton due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
An 80 pound bail of hay was blown along Old Highway 41 due to thunderstorm wind gusts, south of Old Fort Harrison and north of Terre Haute.
A semi-truck was blown over at Interstate 65 and State Route 28 due to thunderstorm wind gusts. The time this even occurred is estimated.
A tree, 3 feet in diameter, was blown down in the 300 block of South Meridian due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
A decayed 12 inch diameter limb was blown down due to thunderstorm wind gusts. This limb blocked Highway 39 south of Danville.
A representative from the National Weather Service reclassified the damage in Eminence to be from a weak tornado. The damage began on the west side of Back Street, where corn stalks were pressed down and pointing towards the east-northeast. The damage continued eastward across the street where a tied-down, single-wide mobile home was flipped over and destroyed. More damage was found across State Road 42 where much of a large tree was downed and another mobile home was damaged and unlivable. The track continued east where a home on North Forest Street was destroyed as its roof was totally lifted and spread downstream about 100 yards. A garage located just behind this house had its roof collapsed and debris located just behind it. Winds were estimated near 105 miles per hour, placing the damage as EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
A trained spotter estimated thunderstorm wind gusts at 60 to 65 miles per hour in this location. Pea sized hail was also noted.
Multiple trees were downed in Frankfort due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
A storm chaser reported a 12 to 15 inch diameter tree down in Mooresville due to thunderstorm wind gusts. This spotter also estimated winds at around 65 miles per hour.
Two different areas in Vincennes saw many uprooted and snapped off trees due to thunderstorm wind gusts. One of the areas was a mile north of the Executive Inn and the other was about two miles southeast of the same inn.
An 8 to 9 inch diameter tree was blown down due to thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of 10th and Wilson Street. The time this event occurred is estimated.
Trees were downed between Paragon and Eminence due to thunderstorm wind gusts. Most of the downed trees were observed around Strawberry Lane. The time this event occurred is estimated.
Power lines were downed near the intersection of Highways 37 and 46 due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Numerous trees and power lines were downed in the old town area of Noblesville. The time this event occurred is estimated.
Damage was done to a house in the Woodland Lake area due to thunderstorm wind gusts. An amateur radio tower was blown down and a 2 inch steel diameter pipe was sheared off a wall. Multiple trees were down in this vicinity as well. The time this event occurred was estimated.
A spotter estimated thunderstorm wind gusts between 60 to 70 miles per hours in Bloomington.
Many trees were downed, uprooted, or split due to thunderstorm wind gusts within Ellettsville. No information on whether any homes were damaged by these trees.
A 12 inch diameter tree was blown down at State Route 13 and County Road 400 North due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
A healthy 12 inch diameter tree was blown down near the intersection of McKenzie Road and Apple Street due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
A tree was downed near State Route 7 and Grayford Road due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were downed near Shoals due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were downed in this location due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2009Warnings 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: 195085, 195087, 195088, 195089, 195091, 195092, 195095, 195393, 195394, 196103, 196120, 196121, 195395, 195402, 195397, 195399, 195400, 195439, 195440, 195403, 195441, 195442, 195736, 195443, 195444, 195445, 196586, 195446, 195452, 195455, 195414, 195456, 195463, 195447, 196587, 195465, 195411, 195466, 195468, 195469.