Scattered thunderstorms developed developed in two distinct waves across western portions of central Indiana during the afternoon hours of July the 27th. As these storms pushed east to southeast across the area, a number of severe reports were received.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed developed in two distinct waves across western portions of central Indiana during the afternoon hours of July the 27th. As these storms pushed east to southeast across the area, a number of severe reports were received.
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 Jul 27, 11:59 AM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1259 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 .UPDATE... AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 340 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWING ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT DRY WEATHER AND COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SPORADIC CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PRESENT FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK AS WEAK DISTURBANCES ALOFT DRIFT THROUGH THE REGION IN A NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 903 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 DID A QUICK UPDATE TO MOVE UP POPS TO THE PRESENT TIME AS CONVECTION IS ALREADY ENTERING THE FORECAST AREA FROM ILLINOIS. ALSO ADJUSTED HWO TO REFLECT SPC/S EXPANSION OF THE SLIGHT RISK ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES IF NEEDED. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS DRIFTING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING IN WAKE OF FRONT THAT PASSED THROUGH THE REGION ON THURSDAY. TEMPS GENERALLY RANGED FROM THE UPPER 60S TO THE MID 70S AS OF 07Z. FOCUS IS ON POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION AS A SHARP UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT ROTATE THROUGH THE REGION. MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SHOULD DRIFT EAST WITH SOME CLEARING EXPANDING INTO THE FORECAST AREA BY DAYBREAK. SHORTWAVE OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WILL ROTATE SOUTH AND EAST INTO NORTHERN INDIANA AND LOWER MICHIGAN BY MID AFTERNOON. WHILE THE BULK OF THE DEEPER FORCING ALOFT WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA... SEVERAL FACTORS PRESENT FOR THE AFTERNOON HOURS SUGGESTIVE OF SCATTERED STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. MODEST INSTABILITY WITH MLCAPES OF 1000-2000 J/KG WILL BE IN PLACE BY 18Z AS BEST FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING FRONT ARRIVES OVER THE REGION. LOW AND MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES SHARPEN SUBSTANTIALLY FOR THE AFTERNOON AS WELL WITH SOUNDINGS INDICATING NEAR DRY ADIABATIC FLOW FROM 750-800MB TO THE SURFACE. WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF ENHANCED BL SHEAR AND HELICITY ACCOMPANYING THE SHORTWAVE ALOFT AND FRONT...ALL PARAMETERS POINT TO SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPING AND IMPACTING MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THIS AFTERNOON. THE SOUNDING PROFILES WOULD APPEAR TO STRONGLY SUPPORT A POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WITH ANY THREAT OF HAIL LIKELY TO BE CONFINED TO STORMS WITH THE MOST ROBUST UPDRAFTS AS WBZEROS REMAIN LARGELY ABOVE 12KFT FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. WELL MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER SHOULD SUPPORT WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 20MPH LATER TODAY OUTSIDE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AS WELL. WILL INTRODUCE LOW CHANCE POPS BY MID MORNING...EXPANDING INTO THE 30-50 POP RANGE FOR THE AFTERNOON FOR ALL BUT FAR SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE GREATER PRESENCE OF DRIER AIR WITHIN THE MID LEVELS AND SUBTLE HINTS OF A CAP ALOFT MAY RESTRICT MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. EXPECT GREATEST COVERAGE TO STORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA AND SPECIFICALLY NORTHEAST OF THE INDY METRO IN CLOSEST PROXIMITY TO THE DEEPER FORCING ALOFT. STORMS WILL SHIFT TO THE E/SE OF THE INDY METRO BY EARLY EVENING AS THE FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPS...HINTS OF A SUBTLE BUMP IN 850MB TEMPS TO AS WARM AS 20-21C IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. UNLESS CONVECTION FIRES EARLY...ANTICIPATE TEMPS TO RISE INTO THE 90S ALL BUT FAR N/NE PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. LOCATIONS IN THE LOWER WABASH VALLEY MAY MAKE A RUN AT 100 DEGREES DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER BY THIS AFTERNOON. THESE NUMBERS GENERALLY SUPPORT WARMER METMOS GUIDANCE WHICH HAS FAR OUTPERFORMED MAVMOS TEMPS OVER THE LAST 4-6 WEEKS. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 340 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 FORECAST CHALLENGES FOCUS ON TEMPS AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES WEATHER ACROSS THE REGION FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE DEPARTING THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. HAVE HELD ONTO LOW CHANCE POPS OVER SOUTHEAST COUNTIES THROUGH MID EVENING...WITH DRY CONDITIONS THEREAFTER AS HIGH PRESSURE EXPANDS INTO THE REGION FROM THE GREAT LAKES. THE PRESENCE OF THE HIGH OVER THE REGION ON SATURDAY WILL BRING A COOLER NORTHERLY FLOW INTO CENTRAL INDIANA PROVIDING A WELCOME CHANGE TO THE RECENT UNRELENTING HEAT THAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY IN RECENT DAYS/WEEKS. COLD ADVECTION IN WAKE OF THE FRONT AND REACHABLE CONVECTIVE TEMPS IN THE MID 80S SHOULD ENSURE SOME DIURNAL CU DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AFTERNOON...BUT ANTICIPATE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR FOR SATURDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT NORTHEAST FLOW UNDERNEATH THE HIGH. WITH FLOW ALOFT REMAINING FROM THE NORTHWEST...QUITE POSSIBLE THAT CIRRUS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY UPSTREAM CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS CAN SPILL INTO THE REGION TOWARDS DAYBREAK SUNDAY. THE HIGH WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST ON SUNDAY WITH SURFACE WINDS VEERING TO MORE OF A S/SE DIRECTION. WHILE SOUNDINGS AGAIN SUPPORT CU DEVELOPMENT DURING THE DAY...LOWER LEVELS REMAIN RELATIVELY DRY WITH A CAPPING INVERSION PRESENT. ANY CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE REGION IS LIKELY TO NOT MAKE IT INTO CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL POSSIBLY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES IN ADVANCE OF A WEAK WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE. WITH HIGH UNCERTAINTY AS TO CONVECTIVE COVERAGE...WILL CARRY JUST A 20 POPS FOR MUCH OF THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. TEMPS...MAVMOS GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE MIGHTILY IN HANDLING HIGHS OVER THE INCREASINGLY DROUGHT-STRICKEN REGION. FELT COMFORTABLE RUNNING AT IF NOT A FEW DEGREES HIGHER THAN THE WARMER METMOS FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD STAY BELOW 90 DEGREES ON SATURDAY BUT WITH 850MB TEMPS WARMING ONCE AGAIN ON SUNDAY ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH...EXPECT TEMPS RANGING FROM THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S. NEAR METMOS ON LOWS AS WELL THROUGH THE PERIOD...AS IT APPEARS TO CAPTURE GREATER VARIANCE TO LOWS ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY/SATURDAY NIGHTS WHEN MAINLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT N/NE FLOW SHOULD ENABLE FOR SOME RADIATIONAL COOLING IMPACTS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ISSUED AT 255 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 GFS AND ECMWF CONTINUE TO INDICATE A PERSISTENT NW FLOW ALOFT NEXT WEEK WITH SEVERAL WEAK BUT DISORGANIZED SHORT WAVES PUSHING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE AT THE SURFACE FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK...INSTABILITY SHOWERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO BREAK OUT WHEN SHORTWAVES AND DAYTIME HEATING MATCH UP. THUS HAVE INCLUDED LOW CHANCES FOR TSRA FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE REMAINS QUITE LOW. GIVE OUR DRY SOIL...PERSISTENCE AND PLAY OF SUN CONTINUES TO BE EXPECTED...HAVE TRENDED DAILY LOWS AND HIGHS WARMER THAN ALLBLEND...RESULTING A WEEK OF MAINLY 90S FOR HIGHS AND 70S FOR LOWS. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 271800Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 1259 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION...VFR EXPECTED THROUGH FIRST HALF OF TAF PERIOD. SOME POSSIBILITY OF MVFR OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SITES IN THE FIRST 6 OR SO HOURS OF THE AF PERIOD...KEEPING SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS THE AREA. WILL HANDLE WITH VCTS FOR NOW UNLESS BETTER COVERAGE CAN BE SEEN. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWEST BY THIS EVENING AND WILL BE GUSTY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AS COLDER AIR WORKS IN...SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL WORK INTO THE NORTHERN SITES OVERNIGHT /MOISTURE CAN BE CURRENTLY SEEN AS CU FIELD ACROSS IOWA/WISCONSIN/. THIS COULD ALLOW SOME LOW CLOUDS OR FOG TO FORM...BUT WITH DRY GROUND HELPING ERODE SOME OF THIS MOISTURE...NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO PUT IN THE MVFR CONDITIONS GIVEN BY MODELS. WILL JUST PUT 6SM IN FOR NOW. SATURDAY SHOULD BE VFR /ANY FOG WILL BURN OFF QUICKLY/. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RYAN NEAR TERM...RYAN/50 SHORT TERM...RYAN LONG TERM....PUMA AVIATION...50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 900 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-281300- 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- 900 AM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. TIMING: STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. DISCUSSION: AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DISCUSSION: UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO CENTRAL INDIANA SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
115 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012
INZ044-045-052-271745-
CLAY-PARKE-PUTNAM-
115 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN CLAY...SOUTHEASTERN
PARKE AND CENTRAL PUTNAM COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM EDT...
AT 114 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRAZIL...OR 21 MILES
NORTHEAST OF TERRE HAUTE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
GREENCASTLE...
REELSVILLE...
CLOVERDALE...
FILLMORE...
BELLE UNION...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
&&
LAT...LON 3971 8710 3973 8669 3953 8668 3951 8669
3953 8716
TIME...MOT...LOC 1715Z 271DEG 26KT 3962 8703
50SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 157 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 INZ037-039-046-047-054-055-271830- BOONE-HAMILTON-HENDRICKS-JOHNSON-MARION-MORGAN- 157 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012 ...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH INDIANAPOLIS METRO AREA... AT 151 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST SUBURBS OF INDIANAPOLIS. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS THE METRO AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR. WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. 50
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:09 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous reports of a downed transformer, downed power lines, and downed trees around the Flora area due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A roof was also blown off a chicken coop. Power was out in Flora at the time of observation.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location, along with quarter sized hail and tree limb damage.
Several trees were reported down just southeast of Bridgeton due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Several trees were reported down in Madison Township due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Several trees were downed in the Burney area near the intersection of County Roads 100 South and 850 West due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
This hail event lasted for 3 minutes.
Thunderstorm winds were also estimated at 40 mph.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 65 mph was observed on State Route 37 just north of town.
Most of the hail stones were one half of an inch.
Quarter sized hail was reported from near the intersection of 96th and Meridian Streets on the county line.
A twelve inch diameter tree was snapped off at the base near the intersection of North Hartstrait and Ratliff Roads due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A corn crib was smashed and a large tree was uprooted in this location due to damaging thunderstom wind gusts.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location.
A transformer was blown off a utility pole and was on fire due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Some railroad crossing arms were broken off on U.S. Highway 50. Also, numerous traffic lights and trees were broken.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location. A 50 foot dead tree was blown down.
A measured thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location. Three inch diameter tree limbs were downed as well.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location.
Part of a roof was peeled off at the Hillcrest Shops strip mall near the intersection of State Route 37 and Sieboldt Quarry Road in Judah due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Twenty trees were downed from Paris Crossing to State Route 7 in the southeast part of the county due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was observed in this location.
Several trees were downed in the Tunnelton and Fort Ritner areas due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2012
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: 405837, 405650, 405651, 405838, 405653, 405839, 405840, 405654, 405656, 405657, 405658, 405659, 405660, 405662, 405663, 405842, 405664, 405843, 405665, 405844, 405668, 405670, 405672, 405850, 405853, 405673, 405674, 405859.