A squall line pushed eastward across the area during the evening of the 23rd and gusts up to 80 mph resulted in numerous reports of wind damage and power outages.
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 squall line pushed eastward across the area during the evening of the 23rd and gusts up to 80 mph resulted in numerous reports of wind damage and power outages.
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 May 23, 1:52 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 252 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 .UPDATE... THE SYNOPSIS...NEAR TERM...SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SEVERAL UPPER DISTURBANCES MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA KEEPING CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND SOME SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT ABOVE AVERAGE BUT THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SHOULD RUN BELOW AVERAGE BEFORE RECOVERING SUNDAY. SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT AND SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .NEAR TERM /THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT/... FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS AND SEVERE POTENTIAL. INSTABILITY CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE AREA AND CUMULUS ARE STARTING TO FORM ACROSS THE AREA. CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES ARE BEING REACHED AND THE CAP HAS PRETTY MUCH ERODED SO COULD SEE DEVELOPMENT OF POP UP THUNDERSTORMS AT ANY TIME. ALSO A LINE OF STORMS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS ILLINOIS SHOULD BE REACHING THE STATE BORDER AROUND 4 PM OR SO...AND THE COMBINATION OF THIS ACTIVITY HAS PROMPTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE AREA. LOW LEVEL JET SHOULD BE RAMPING UP ACROSS EASTERN PARTS OF THE AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AND HELP WITH STORM ORGANIZATION THROUGH EARLY IN THE TONIGHT PERIOD BEFORE MOVING EAST. FEEL THAT SEVERE THREAT WILL BE GREATEST FROM THE HOURS OF 4 TO 10 PM. WITH THE GREAT INSTABILITY AND SOME SHEAR BUT LITTLE IN THE WAY OF LOW LEVEL DIRECTIONAL SHEAR...THE GREATEST THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. A COOL FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND STALL SOMEWHERE NEAR OR NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER NEAR DAYBREAK AND THIS WILL KEEP LIKELY THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT AFTER THE SEVERE THREAT HAS WEAKENED. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS AND CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER. WITH THE FRONT STALLED SOMEWHERE NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER AND SOUTH OF I 70 AND A SHORTWAVE MOVING ALONG IT WILL KEEP LIKELY THUNDERSTORMS GOING ALONG AND SOUTH OF I 70 FOR TUESDAY. NORTH OF THIS WILL TAPER TO CHANCE POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT LOOKS LIKE SOME WEAK RIDGING OVER THE AREA SO EVEN WITH THE FRONT COULD SEE A BRIEF LULL IN ACTIVITY...THUS KEPT ONLY CHANCE POPS GOING. ON WEDNESDAY THE FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE AREA AS A WARM FRONT AND A GREAT GULF MOISTURE FEED GETS ESTABLISHED. 40+ KT LOW LEVEL JET WILL BE POINTED AT INDIANA AND THE AREA IS ALSO IN A FAVORABLE POSITION WITH THE COUPLED UPPER JET. THE BEST CONDITIONS WILL BE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THUS LIKELY THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST AND IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH A WIDESPREAD RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS. WITH THE WARM FRONT MOVING THROUGH AND ENHANCING LOW LEVEL HELICITY THIS COULD INCLUDE SOME RISK FOR TORNADOES AS WELL. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES ARE CONCERNED...GENERALLY LEANED ON THE WARMER MAV NUMBERS FOR HIGHS AS THESE FIT BETTER WITH FRONTAL PLACEMENT AND WARM ADVECTION ON THE SOUTHERLY WINDS. LOWS WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT AND USED A BLEND. A NOTE ON HYDROLOGY...WITH THE FRONT SETTING UP ACROSS THE AREA AND CONTINUED CHANCES FOR STORMS AS WELL AS A GOOD GULF MOISTURE FEED...WILL PROBABLY CAUSE AT LEAST LOWLAND FLOODING AND COULD WIND UP HAVING AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT ON AREA RIVERS. AT THIS TIME FORECASTING AROUND 3 INCHES NORTH TO 4 INCHES SOUTH BASED ON HPC NUMBERS AND MODEL CONSENSUS THROUGH 5 DAYS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... LONG TERM MODELS SHOWING SOME DISAGREEMENT OVER THE TIMING OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER PATTERN BY THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE GFS AND GEFS BEING FASTER THAN THE ECMWF AND ITS ENSEMBLES. WITH TELECONNECTION PATTERNS FAVORING A TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN US AND A RIDGE OVER THE WEST WILL FAVOR THE SLOWER ECM THAT RETAINS THIS SOLUTION. ACTIVE PATTERN SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AS AN UPPER LOW AND SURFACE LOW TREK ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. A BRIEF PERIOD OF WEAK RIDGING COULD KEEP THINGS A LITTLE DRIER ON FRIDAY AND PERHAPS INTO FRIDAY NIGHT SO DROPPED TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR FRIDAY AND KEPT LOW CHANCE GOING FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. REMOVED THUNDER FOR THESE TIMES AS IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE NO INSTABILITY AVAILABLE. KEPT A CHANCE GOING FOR SATURDAY WITH A WEAK WAVE MOVING THROUGH AND ADDED A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH THE ECM SHOWING ANOTHER FRONT STARTING TO SET UP ACROSS THE AREA AND TROUGHINESS OVERHEAD. TEMPERATURES LOOK NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION.../DISCUSSION FOR 231800Z TAFS/... VFR EXPECTED AWAY FROM THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TODAY AND MUCH OF TONIGHT. HOWEVER...WINDS WILL DROP OFF ENOUGH FOR SOME MVFR FOG AFTER 09Z. ALSO...COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTH SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA BY TOMORROW MORNING AND THEN BECOME QUASI-STATIONARY. CONFIDENCE LEVEL ON FRONTAL POSITION IS LOW WITH MODEL FLIP FLOPPING...BUT WILL ESTIMATE IT WILL REACH LAF AROUND 12Z...IND AND HUF AROUND 18Z AND BMG AROUND 00Z. COULD ALSO SEE SOME POST-FRONTAL MVFR CEILINGS TUESDAY. LOOKS LIKE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP SHORTLY AFTER 18Z WITH DECENT COVERAGE...EVEN MORE SO TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. WILL GO WITH VCTS AND CB'S THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH STRONG INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE. WILL TAKE A LAST MINUTE LOOK TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY ACTIVITY TRYING TO FORM AND IF SO...MAY ISSUE TEMPO THUNDERSTORM GROUPS. BUFKIT AND OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST SOUTHWEST WINDS NEAR 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LOOSEN TONIGHT WHICH SHOULD AS MENTIONED ALLOW WINDS TO BECOME LIGHT AND MVFR FOG TO FORM AFTER 09Z. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CP NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...CP LONG TERM....CP AVIATION...MK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 342 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 INZ051>053-060>065-067>072-241945- VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR- KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 342 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND VERY LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON TUESDAY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL INDIANA. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WOULD BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS...AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. ON WEDNESDAY...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. ONCE AGAIN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AS WELL AS TORNADOES. LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN IS A RISK FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES THROUGH SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THERE IS SEVERE POTENTIAL BEYOND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT STORM REPORTS. SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS WELL. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ021-028>031-035>049-054>057-241945- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE- PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH- 342 PM EDT MON MAY 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND VERY LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON TUESDAY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL INDIANA. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED ON TUESDAY...HOWEVER AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT. ON WEDNESDAY...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. ONCE AGAIN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AS WELL AS TORNADOES. LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN IS A RISK FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES THROUGH SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF THERE IS SEVERE POTENTIAL BEYOND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT STORM REPORTS. SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS WELL. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) CP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1120 AM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM HAIL 2 SE MORRISTOWN 39.65N 85.67W
05/22/2011 E2.00 INCH SHELBY IN PUBLIC
&&
DTUCEKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1126 AM EDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM HAIL 5 W SOUTHPORT 39.65N 86.21W
05/22/2011 M1.00 INCH MARION IN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DTUCEKThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:19 UTC.
33 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location. Several trees were reported down as well.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location. Pea sized hail was also reported.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
Trees were reported down around Vincennes due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Power outages were reported in Decker, with telephone and electric lines down at 4th Street and Church Street.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
A 63 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
Shingles were reportedly pulled off several houses in the Spring Hill area of Terre Haute due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A tree was blocking the road near the intersection of 19th and Maple Streets due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Numerous other tree limbs were down.
A 65 to 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location with a wall cloud. Shingles were also reported to be blown off homes.
There were numerous reports of trees down with power outages due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts in Terre Haute.
Half of a hog barn was removed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts near County Roads 100 South and 350 East.
A 70 to 80 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location, with much debris.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
A four inch diameter tree branch was reported down at 10th and Walnut Streets.
A 63 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
A 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location, along with one half inch hail.
Trees were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A barn roof was reported to be blown off due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Multiple trees were reported down as well, including a 14-inch diameter tree.
Multiple trees were reported down across Bloomington due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees were reported down on County Road 625 East, one mile south of Highway 47.
A two foot diameter tree was downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Large tree limbs and small trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Two foot diameter live trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of North Main and Adams Streets.
A six inch diameter tree limb was reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 63 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
A barn was reported to be destroyed near the intersection of State Route 3 and County Road 700 West.
Three grain bins were blown over near the intersection of South County Road 350 West and West County Road 850 South due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location, as well as a large pine tree downed.
An eight inch diameter tree branch was reported down on a car due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
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, May 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: 316569, 316573, 316576, 316578, 316580, 316586, 316594, 316606, 316611, 316614, 316617, 316620, 316621, 316623, 316624, 316625, 316626, 316628, 316632, 316634, 316636, 316639, 316642, 316644, 317973, 316646, 316647, 316649, 316650, 316651, 316653, 316656, 316657, 316663, 316668, 316669, 316670.