Numerous showers and thunderstorms developed and moved across portions of Northern Indiana. One to three inches of rain fell across the area with localized higher amounts.
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 IWX wrote it up.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms developed and moved across portions of Northern Indiana. One to three inches of rain fell across the area with localized higher amounts. This resulted in some roads becoming impassable due to flood waters. The event continued into March when a few rivers went over their banks.
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 Feb 28, 4:53 AM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 453 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 .SHORT TERM... TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT POTENT FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE OVER OK WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT EAST TODAY...WITH ALL ASSOCIATED LL ADJUSTMENT PASSING SOUTH OF THE FA. SFC TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SFC LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE OH VALLEY AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE SE MIDWEST...WITH MIXED PRECIP BEING REPORTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE REGION AS PROFILES COOL. OPEN WAVE STRUCTURE AND FRONT SIDE JET ORIENTATION WILL QUICKLY LIFT THIS SYSTEM EAST OUT OF THE AREA...WITH A FAST END TO ONGOING PRECIP. MESOSCALE INFLUENCES FROM DOWNSTATE CONVECTION HAS ALSO SUPPORTED AN EASTERN SHIFT OF THE STRONGEST LL FORCING WITH MAINLY LIGHT RAIN REMAINING OVER THE FA. THE TRANSITION TO FAST WESTERLY FLOW WILL BE THE NORM THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH NORTHERN STREAM INFLUENCES. TODAY...HAVE TAILORED THE FA TO INCLUDE A FAST EXIT OF PRECIP...WITH LL DRYING SUPPORTING SOME SUN BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. COOLING THERMAL FIELDS /AS INDICATED IN H85 T FALLS OF AROUND 5 DEGREES C/ WILL SUPPORT A QUELLED DIURNAL T CURVE WITH A SLIGHT RISE IN T/S POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT MORE LIKELY T/S WILL HOVER IN THE LOWER 30S. FAST MOVING SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL SUPPORT CLEARING SKIES TONIGHT WITH LARGE SCALE SINK OVER THE AREA. DRY AIR MOVING INTO THE REGION WITH A STRONGLY DECOUPLED BL WILL SUPPORT T/S FALLS LATE TONIGHT INTO THE LOWER 20S AND UPPER TEENS. TUES...FAST MOVING NORTHERN STREAM IMPULSE WILL TRACK ACROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER...WITH PRESSURE FALLS EXPECTED INTO THE GREAT LAKES. INCREASES LL WIND FIELD WITH CLEAR SKIES SUPPORTING STRONG INSOLATION WILL ALLOW FOR RATHER DEEP MIXING GIVEN A DEPLETED SNOW PACK. NAM/GFS BUFR MIXING HEIGHTS ARE JUST BELOW H9...AND WITH WEAK WAA TEMPS SHOULD RECOVER NICELY INTO THE 40S FOR HIGHS. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL PREVAIL TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH PERHAPS SOME MID AND HIGH CLOUDS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS PER THE ADVECTING UPPER IMPULSE AND ASSOCIATED LL TROUGH. PRESSURE RISES AND ASSOCIATED ISALLOBARIC WIND SHOULD SUPPORT SOME LL MIXING HELPING TO KEEP TEMPS WARMER THAN MON NIGHT. && .LONG TERM... WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRONG EASTERN PACIFIC JET ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS MORNING WILL WORK ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES THROUGH MID WEEK. TREND OVER PAST FEW RUNS OF THE GFS HAS BEEN TOWARD AN ASSOCIATED STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN CENTRAL CANADA AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PERIOD...WHICH ALLOWS A FURTHER SOUTHWARD PENETRATION OF COLDER AIR ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON WEDNESDAY. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY THIS MORNING AND SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS OF 130 KNOTS AT 300 HPA DO SUPPORT STRENGTH OF THIS EASTERN PACIFIC JET AND HAVE STEERED FORECAST TOWARD STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH. OVERALL RESULT WAS JUST MINOR DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENTS TO MAX TEMPS ACROSS THE FAR NORTH ON WEDNESDAY...BUT PROSPECTS FOR ANY PRECIP STILL LOOKING TRACE AT BEST DUE TO VERY SHALLOW BASED MOISTURE. TREND TO A MORE WELL DEVELOPED NORTHEAST CONUS/SOUTHEAST CANADIAN UPPER TROUGH BY WEDNESDAY WILL RESULT IN A MORE AMPLIFIED UPSTREAM RIDGE WHICH MAY ALLOW FOR A BIT MORE RESIDENCE TIME OF SHALLOW COLD AIR INTO THURSDAY. FAIRLY ROBUST LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION STILL LOOKS TO GET GOING THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT SUSPECT THAT STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL INVERSION UNDER THIS WAA REGIME WILL LIMIT SFC TEMP RISES...AND SOUTHEAST SFC WINDS ALSO NOT LIKELY TO ALLOW FOR MUCH MIXING TO THE SFC. THUS...HAVE MADE SOME MINOR DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENTS TO MAX TEMPS FOR THURSDAY...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST WHERE THIS SHALLOW LOW LEVEL COLD AIR WILL RESIDE LONGER. FOR THIS FORECAST PACKAGE HAVE MADE MINIMAL CHANGES TO POPS AND WEATHER WITH LATEST SET OF 00Z GUIDANCE IN OVERALL GOOD AGREEMENT TO PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY. NEXT SIGNIFICANT EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH WILL ALLOW FOR SUPPRESSION OF CENTRAL CONUS/SOUTHERN CANADIAN RIDGE AND PROVIDE STRONGER WARM ADVECTION AGAIN BY THURSDAY NIGHT. NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN BY THURSDAY NIGHT STILL LOOKS ON TRACK...WITH PERHAPS SOME PRECIP TYPE ISSUES TO CONTEND WITH MAINLY AT ONSET DUE TO EVAPORATIVE COOLING EFFECTS. HOWEVER...LIQUID STILL APPEARS TO BE THE DOMINANT PRECIPITATION TYPE FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. FORECAST CONFIDENCE DWINDLES TOWARD FRIDAY NIGHT WITH PASSAGE OF LEAD EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH INTRODUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF COLD AIR ADVECTION. PRECIP TYPE BECOMES MORE MUDDLED BY FRIDAY NIGHT WITH DECENT AGREEMENT IN ECMWF/GFS/GEM OF NEXT EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH WORKING INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. FAIRLY SHARP DOWNSTREAM BAROCLINIC ZONE AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ZONE WILL ALLOW FOR EXTENDED PRECIP CHANCES INTO THE WEEKEND. AT THIS TIME...HAVE KEPT FLAVOR OF PREVIOUS FORECAST OF CHANCES OF RAIN CHANGING TO CHANCES OF SNOW BY SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY. 00Z ECMWF STILL MAINTAINS MORE OF A CUT OFF SOLUTION WITH THE DIGGING CENTRAL ROCKIES UPPER TROUGH ACROSS LOWER MS RVER VALLEY NEXT WEEKEND WHICH IS GIVEN SOME SUPPORT FROM 00Z CANADIAN...WHILE 00Z GFS REMAINS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND FURTHER NORTH. DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THIS EVOLUTION HAVE NOT MADE CHANGES TO POPS AT THIS TIME DUE TO DIFFICULTY IN FOCUSING A PERIOD FOR HIGHER 12 HOUR POPS. && .AVIATION... UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT...EVENTUALLY TAPERING OFF AT KSBN AFTER 11Z. THREAT FOR THUNDER HAS DIMINISHED AT KSBN AS ANY LINGERING INSTABILITY IS BECOMING QUITE ELEVATED IN NATURE DUE TO COLD ADVECTION ONGOING WITH THE PASSAGE OF SFC COLD FRONT. THUNDER POTENTIAL WILL LINGER AT KFWA THROUGH AROUND 09Z BEFORE COLD ADVECTION RESULTS IN MORE LIMITED ELEVATED INSTABILITY. CONDITIONS SHOULD BEGIN TO TREND TO IFR AT KSBN OVER NEXT FEW HOURS AS DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR ADVECTS SOUTHWARD WITH SEVERAL MORE HOURS OF LIFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KFWA DUE TO HEAVY RAIN AND FOG. NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE IN GUSTINESS OVERNIGHT WITH GUSTY WINDS CONTINUING INTO MONDAY...ALTHOUGH REMAINING MVFR CIGS SHOULD SCATTER TOWARD MIDDAY WITH CONTINUED DRY AIR ADVECTION. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EST TUESDAY FOR LMZ043-046. && SHORT TERM...JC LONG TERM...MARSILI AVIATION...MARSILI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 608 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-011115- 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 608 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 /508 AM CST MON FEB 28 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COMBINATION OF RUNOFF FROM MELTING SNOW AND RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL POSE A THREAT OF FLOODING THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF ROUTE 30. A THREAT OF LOWLAND FLOODING ALONG SOME AREA RIVERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER STATEMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FLOODING WILL LIKELY PERSIST ON SOME AREA RIVERS THIS WEEK. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER STATEMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER REPORTS OF ANY OBSERVED FLOODING AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-011115- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 608 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT WILL PERSIST THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES... OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
447 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 NE YODER 40.71N 84.03W
02/28/2011 M2.61 INCH ALLEN OH ASOS
RAINFALL SINCE 8 PM ON THE 27TH
&&
EVENT NUMBER IWX1100534
JCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
456 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 W BUNKER HILL 40.66N 86.15W
02/28/2011 M1.34 INCH MIAMI IN ASOS
SINCE 10 PM ON THE 27TH...STORM TOTAL
&&
EVENT NUMBER IWX1100535
JCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported numerous road closures, including State Road 26 and County Road 200 East. River flooding resulted from the heavy rain and continued into the first part of March. However, only agricultural flooding was noted.
County officials and local newspapers reported widespread flooding from a combination of local creeks and rivers overflowing and ponding of water in slow drainage areas. Much of the city of Portland, as well as New Corydon suffered flooding damage. Water depths of several inches to over a foot were reported in businesses and homes. In addition, several roads were closed, including US 27 which passes through Portland. Flooding began to subside by later on the 28th, but rivers continued to respond to the heavy rainfall. No damage amounts were available at the time of entry.
Law enforcement officials reported some road closures during the rain event. While damage was limited at this time to minor washout, the Wabash River rapidly rose during the day and into the first part of March.
Local newspapers reported extensive flooding occurred on the Mississinewa River, just east of Marion. The rain occurred on the 28th with the river quickly responding to the heavy rainfall. Some damage was reported during the late evening hours, with conditions worsening into March 1st.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, February 2011
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: 286706, 286751, 286684, 286768.