A moist, unstable atmosphere was in place, with only limited low and mid level flow. This resulted in slow moving, very efficient rain producing thunderstorms.
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.
A moist, unstable atmosphere was in place, with only limited low and mid level flow. This resulted in slow moving, very efficient rain producing thunderstorms. Three to five inches of rain fell across portions of Grant, Blackford, Jay and Wells counties with some flash flooding reported near the Blackford and Wells county line.
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 24, 3:06 AM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
406 AM EDT SUN JUL 24 2011
.SHORT TERM...
MODEL DATA OF LTL VALUE NR TERM W/RELIANCE ON OBSVNL DATA TO
CONSTRUCT MORNING FCST. SMALL BUT POTENT EARLIER CONV CLUSTER WHICH
DVLPD ALG THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO...SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHT...CONTS
TO DECAY AS IT PROPAGATES SLOWLY SEWD BUT SHLD STAY OF WRN CWA
THROUGH DAYBREAK. MEANWHILE LARGER CLUSTER OF STORMS WHICH DVLPD OVR
SERN PORTION OF IN CWA WILL CONT TO FOLLOW MESOSCALE OUTFLW SWD
THROUGH SE IN AND OUT OF THE SERN CWA CORNER. IN BTWN LTL MORE
THAN A SHRA XPCD THROUGH MID MORNING GIVEN LOW THETA-E BUBBLE IN
PLACE IN WAKE OF CONVN FM YDA AFTN.
HWVR COMMENSURATE W/SW TROUGH SHIFTING EWD JUST N OF THE US/CANADA
BORDER...LL THETA-E RIDGE POSITIONED WWD ACRS THE ERN CORNBELT WILL
ADVT EWD TDA AHD OF ASSOCD SEWD DROPPING CDFNT. LL MASS FLUX SWD ALG
THE NRN EDGE OF MID LVL RIDGE CONTS TO BE LACKLUSTER W/00Z MODEL
GUIDANCE TAKEN AS A WHOLE TRENDING EVEN WEAKER CONTRAST TO HIGHRES
GUIDANCE HOLDING W/SOMEWHAT STGR LL FLW ESP THIS AFTN. UPSTREAM
RADAR/SAT TRENDS WOULD SUGGEST 00Z 4KM ARW MOST LOGICAL TAKING
EXPANDING STORM CLUSTER OVR WRN WI SEWD THROUGH THE DAY W/EVENTUAL
INTENSIFICATION SEWD OF LK MI TWD LT MORNING/EARLY AFTN AND
GENERALLY BOUGHT INTO. OTHERWISE IN THE WAKE OF THIS IT APPEARS
DOUBTFUL THAT REDVLPMNT WILL OCCUR INVOF OF APCHG CDFNT LT THIS AFTN
AND EVENING AND WILL TRIM POPS ACCORDINGLY.
OTHERWISE AS SEEN YDA...TEMPS REBOUNDED QUICKLY YDA MORNING AND XPC
THE SAME TDA ESP IN LIGHT OF DECAYING NE IL MCS AND AREA OF CLRG OVR
SWRN WI. THUS WILL HOLD W/RUNNING HEAT WARNING. MUCH DRIER AIR TO
FOLLOW POST FNTL LATE TONIGHT/MON W/TEMPS ABT A CAT COOLER.
&&
.LONG TERM...
TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE MAIN CHALLENGES THIS PERIOD INCLUDE
TIMING OF STORMS LATE THIS WEEK. BLENDED THE GFS...CANADIAN GEM AND
THE ECMWF FOR THIS PACKAGE. THE GFS GENERAL TREND OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL RUNS TOWARD WARMER TEMPERATURES APPEARS ON TRACK. THE
OPERATIONAL MEX HIGHS AND LOWS APPEAR ON TRACK...BUT THE GFS MEAN
ENSEMBLE MOS TEMPS APPEAR TOO COLD GIVEN THE RETURN OF THE HOT AND VERY
HUMID CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BE INCREASING LATE IN
THE WEEK AS LOW LEVEL THETA E INCREASES AND AS PRECIPITABLE WATER
VALUES RETURN TO EXTREMELY HIGH VALUES. THE GFS CONTINUES TO FAVOR
MAX VALUES BETWEEN 2.2 AND 2.4 INCHES WHICH IS IN THE TOP PERCENTILE
WITH RESPECT TO CLIMATOLOGY. KEPT A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IF
STORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY SATURDAY MORNING.
&&
.AVIATION...
EVOLUTION OF OUTFLW DOMINANT MCS DROPPING SEWD OUT OF
WISCONSIN THE MAIN UNCERTAINTY NR TERM. HWVR 00Z 4KM WRF HAS THE
BEST HANDLE HANDS DOWN W/ITS SHRT TERM PLACEMENT OF THIS SYS AND
ALTHOUGH CURRENTLY UNDERGOING SOME WKNG...XPC REINTENSIFICATION SE
OF LK MI LTR THIS MORNING COINCIDENT W/SOME DOWNSTREAM
DESTABILIZATION AFT SUNRISE.
OTHERWISE CONV POTENTIAL THIS AFTN QUITE CONDITIONAL CONSIDERING
AREA WILL STABILIZE IN WAKE OF THIS SYS AND LL FLW WILL LIKELY NOT
RECOVER AHD OF WK CDFNT ASSOCD/W SW TROUGH TRACKING EWD THROUGH
SRN CANADA THIS MORNING. OTHER THAN A REASSESSMENT OF F CB TIMING...WILL
LIKELY HOLD CLOSE TO GIST OF 06Z VFR ISSUANCE AT 12Z.
&&
.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING
FOR INZ012>018-020-022>027-032>034.
MI...NONE.
OH...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR OHZ015-
016-024-025.
LM...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...T
LONG TERM...SKIPPER
AVIATION...THAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 651 PM EDT SAT JUL 23 2011 INZ012>018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ015-016-024-025-242300- STARKE-PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE- CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY- PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...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...PAULDING... ANTWERP...OTTAWA...PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA 651 PM EDT SAT JUL 23 2011 /551 PM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO AND NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE MAY BE SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY WITH STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY EVENING FOR THE COMBINATION OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY. MAXIMUM HEAT INDICES WILL BE IN THE 100 TO 105 RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL BE A BREAK IN THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY BEGINNING MONDAY...BUT HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS SHOULD REDEVELOP BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX INZ004>009-MIZ078>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-242300- ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-CASS MI- ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH BEND...MISHAWAKA...ELKHART... GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER... AUBURN...GARRETT...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...STURGIS...THREE RIVERS... COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...MONTPELIER...WAUSEON...ARCHBOLD... DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON 651 PM EDT SAT JUL 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA... SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE MAY BE SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY WITH STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MAXIMUM HEAT INDICES WILL BE IN THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL BE A BREAK IN THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY BEGINNING MONDAY... BUT HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS SHOULD REDEVELOP BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX INZ003-LMZ043-046-MIZ077-242300- LA PORTE-NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI- MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI-BERRIEN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN 651 PM EDT SAT JUL 23 2011 /551 PM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA... SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE MAY BE SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY WITH STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MAXIMUM HEAT INDICES WILL BE IN THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...WITH THE GREATEST RISK ON MONDAY IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT. THERE WILL BE A BREAK IN THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY BEGINNING MONDAY... BUT HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS SHOULD REDEVELOP BY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
237 AM EDT SUN JUL 24 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0236 AM HEAVY RAIN HARTFORD CITY 40.45N 85.37W
07/24/2011 M1.78 INCH BLACKFORD IN COCORAHS
RAINFALL 1.78 INCHES IN 75 MINUTES
&&
EVENT NUMBER IWX1101227
SKIPPERThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:11 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported water flowing over State Route 3, just north of the Wells and Blackford county line.
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, July 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: 340022.