A warm and unstable environment led to the development of thunderstorms. Moderate wind fields were brought down by a few of the stronger storms, causing isolated wind damage.
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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 IWX wrote it up.
A warm and unstable environment led to the development of thunderstorms. Moderate wind fields were brought down by a few of the stronger storms, causing isolated wind damage.
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 Jul 15, 6:40 PM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 740 PM EDT WED JUL 15 2009 .AVIATION/UPDATE... CDFNT MOVG ACROSS NRN IN THIS EVE WITH MAX LAPS CAPES AROUND 1200J/KG AHEAD OF IT. APPEARS FRONT ALREADY THROUGH SBN AND WILL PASS THROUGH FWA SHORTLY. FRONTAL CONVERGENCE AND UPR LEVEL FORCING IS QUITE WK SO DOUBTFUL IF DEEP CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP IN OUR CWA AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR STLT AND RADAR TRENDS THROUGH SUNSET AT WHICH TIME IF NO INDICATION OF CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT, PLAN ON UPDATING GRIDS/ZONES TO REMOVE MENTION OF TSTMS FROM THE 00Z-06Z TIME PERIOD. FOR 00Z TAFS JUST FCST FEW CU THIS EVE DISSIPATING WITH LOSS OF HEATING LEAVING CLEAR SKIES OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO DIMINISH SOME WITH RADIATIONAL COOLING BUT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT GRADIENT TO PREVENT FOG FROM FORMING OVERNIGHT. WITH RENEWED DIURNAL HEATING ON THU, WEST WINDS SHOULD INCREASE INTO THE TEENS WITH SOME GUSTS IN THE 20S PSBL IN THE AFTN. ALSO EXPECT DIURNAL CU TO FORM WHICH COULD DEVELOP INTO CIGS TOWARD EVE AS ONTARIO UPR LOW SENDS A SECONDARY SHRTWV/CDFNT SEWD ACROSS THE WRN GRTLKS REGION. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 PM EDT WED JUL 15 2009/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... SLIGHTLY CONVOLUTED NEAR TERM FCST AS PREFRONTAL TROUGH PUSHES THROUGH NW IN ABOUT 100 MILES EAST OF SFC COLD FRONT NOW IN N CENTRAL IL. THOUGH MASS AND MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WEAK ALONG BOTH FEATURES...EITHER ONE COULD POTENTIALLY FIRE OFF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON UNDER THE RIGHT REAR QUAD OF AN INTENSE H25 JET STREAK. CONVERGENCE BETTER ALONG LEAD PREFRONTAL TROUGH INDICATED CLEARLY BY SAT AND RADAR BUT THIS FEATURE MOVING INTO ENVIRONMENT WITH ONLY TOKEN AMOUNTS OF MAINLY ELEVATED INSTABILITY /MUCAPES 500-900 J/KG/. SFC COLD FRONT ACROSS N CENTRAL IL LACKS MUCH CONVERGENCE BUT IS MOVING INTO MORE UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER NE IL WHERE BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER HAVE ALLOWED MLCAPES AND SB LI/S TO INCREASE TO ABOVE 1000 J/KG AND -4 RESPECTIVELY. LOWERING LFC/S AHEAD OF COLD FRONT WOULD PROVIDE INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN CONVECTIVE INITIATION IF VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWED ANY MORE THAN A FLATTENED CU FIELD AHEAD OF CONVERGENCE LINE. EVEN IF CONVECTION WERE TO FIRE ALONG COLD FRONT...SVR POTENTIAL APPEARS GREATLY LIMITED DUE IN LARGE PART TO PUTRID MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. WITH H5 COLD POOL WELL NORTH...TALL SKINNY CAPE PROFILES ARE THE NORM AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND COMBINED WITH ONLY MARGINAL DEEP SHEAR /AROUND 30-35KTS/ A WIDESPREAD SVR THREAT JUST DOES NOT LOOK TO BE IN THE CARDS. OVERALL...POTENTIAL FOR SOME ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP ALONG ONE OR BOTH OF THESE BOUNDARIES WILL SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF ONGOING LOW CHC POPS THIS AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT WILL CLEAR THE AREA TONIGHT WITH ENTIRE CWA DRY BY 06Z. A NICE DAY LOOKS TO BE ON TAP FOR THURSDAY AS DRIER AIR OVERSPREADS AREA. EXPECT LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CU OR OPAQUE HIGH CLOUDINESS WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FULL MIXING TO H85 RESULTING IN HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 80S. AS YET ANOTHER DEEP GREAT LAKES CLOSED LOW ESTABLISHES ITSELF...A DISTURBANCE WILL ROTATE AROUND IT AND INTO THE AREA THU NIGHT. THOUGH MOISTURE WILL BE SLIGHTLY LACKING...GOOD UPR DYNAMICS IN COMBINATION WITH A WELL DEFINED SFC TROUGH WARRANT INCLUSION OF CHC POPS INTO THE FCST OVERNIGHT. WITH TIMING A LITTLE IFFY EITHER SIDE OF 06Z...DECIDED TO ADD THE POP FM 00Z-12Z FRI. AS TIMING DIFFS ARE RESOLVED...MORE DETAIL CAN BE ADDED LATER. LONG TERM... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A COLD FRONT SHOULD BE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY FOLLOWED BY MUCH DRIER AIR SPREADING INTO THE REGION. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED AND FORCING WEAK...SO HAVE RETAINED JUST A SMALL CHANCE FOR A SHOWER FRIDAY AS THE FRONT PASSES. AFTER FRIDAY...THE LATEST GFS...ECMWF...AND CANADIAN GEM RUNS ALL SUPPORT AN UPPER LEVEL TROF DIGGING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF COOL AND GENERALLY DRY WEATHER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A SHORT WAVE TROF MOVING THROUGH THE MAIN TROF MAY BE ABLE TO TRIGGER SOME SHOWERS THIS PERIOD...BUT GIVEN TIMING UNCERTAINTIES HAVE LEFT CONDITIONS DRY. HAVE GENERALLY LOWERED TEMPERATURES IN LINE WITH THE 00Z MEAN ENSEMBLE MOS TRENDS...WHICH CONTINUE TO SHOW TEMPS TRENDING COLDER. THIS COOL PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE PATTERN OF THE LAST 2 WEEKS WITH TEMPERATURES AT LEAST 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THIS WEEKEND. GIVEN THE WESTERN PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER RIDGE AND THE HIGHLY AMPLIFIED TROF THAT DEVELOPS DOWNSTREAM OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION...ONGOING HIGHS OF 79F TO 82F MONDAY AND TUESDAY MAY BE TOO WARM. AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 18Z TAFS... PREDOMINATELY MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON AT BOTH TAF SITES. KFWA WILL LIKELY TEMPO IN AND OUT FM 18-20Z BEFORE LOWER CIGS W OF TAF SITE MOVE IN TO STAY. INCLUDED VCTS MENTION AT BOTH SITES AS UPSTREAM ATMOSPHERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE IN ADV OF EWD PROGRESSING COLD FRONT. EXPECT MVFR CIGS TO LIFT TO VFR AFTER FROPA AND ATTEMPTED TO TIME ACCORDINGLY. SKIES WILL CONTINUE TO CLEAR AND WINDS WILL VEER NW AFTER 12Z THU. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...SIMPSON LONG TERM...SKIPPER AVIATION...JT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 512 AM EDT WED JUL 15 2009 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-160915- LA PORTE-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-BERRIEN- CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE- HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...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...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS... STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON... ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA... PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA 512 AM EDT WED JUL 15 2009 /412 AM CDT WED JUL 15 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. WHILE ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-160915- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 512 AM EDT WED JUL 15 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. WHILE ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:14 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a tree adjacent to a mobile home in the West Haven Estates, traveled along a tree root and blew a hole in the floor of the home. A woman in the trailer heard a loud band and then observed her couch on fire. She, another adult and 2 children were able to escape unharmed. Damage was estimated at around $20,000.
A NWS employee reported a 12 foot by 12 foot shed blown onto its side on Mock Road between County Road 300 East and Rookstool Road. Damage is estimated at $500.
A NWS employee reported a healthy tree limb, six to eight inches in diameter down on County Road 450 North, west of Brown Road.
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, July 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: 181365, 181361, 181362.