Showers and thunderstorms developed across the southern half of Indiana during the afternoon and evening hours of May the 4th. The hail reports that were received came in under severe criteria.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed across the southern half of Indiana during the afternoon and evening hours of May the 4th. The hail reports that were received came in under severe criteria. However, a couple severe wind reports were received from these storms.
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 4, 11:40 AM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1240 PM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 240 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY LINGERS ACROSS INDIANA...MOVING SOUTH TO THE OHIO RIVER TONIGHT AND THEN BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON SUNDAY NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL AID THE MOTION OF THE FRONT AND THIS WILL RESULT IN CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE AREA ON TUESDAY...BRINGING DRY WEATHER INTO THE AREA FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF TODAY/... ISSUED AT 945 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 HAVE RE-ALIGNED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS AFTERNOON TO GO WITH HIGHER POPS SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF OUR REGION AND A LITTLE LOWER IN OUR NORTH. AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS IS HOLDING TOGETHER AND SHOULD SPREAD INTO PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA BY MIDDAY AND CONTINUE EAST SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AS IT BECOMES LESS ORGANIZED. THIS MATCHES WELL WITH HIGHEST CAPES OCCURRING ACROSS OUR SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL. WILL SCALE POPS BACK TO CHANCE CATEGORY ACROSS OUR NORTH AS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SOUTH MAY INHIBIT CONVECTION A LITTLE ACROSS OUR NORTH. WILL ADJUST TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY TO GO SLIGHTLY COOLER ACROSS OUR WEST AND PARTS OF OUR SOUTH DUE TO MORE CONVECTION THERE. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 240 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE POPS. WILL USE A BLEND OF THE MODELS. GFS AND NAM SUGGEST ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE POISED TO PUSH ACROSS INDIANA TONIGHT. LOWER LEVEL Q VECTORS ALSO INDICATE GOOD CONVERGENCE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AGAIN SHOW STEEP LAPSE RATES ALOFT ALBEIT WITH A SMALL SURFACE INVERSION. GFS INDICATES THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE DRAPED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. ALL OF THIS POINTS FOR AN IDEAL SET UP FOR MORE SHRA AND TSRA. THUS WILL ONCE AGAIN RAISE POPS. GIVEN THE EXPECTED CLOUDS AND RAIN WILL LEAN TOWARD THE WARMER SIDE OF MAVMOS FOR LOWS. ON SATURDAY THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS ACROSS THE AREA...HOWEVER RIDGING ALOFT IS EXPECTED TO BUILD ACROSS THE STATE AND THE OVERNIGHT WEATHER DISTURBANCE DEPARTS. HOWEVER...FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE STEEP LAPSE RATES WITH LI/S NEAR -5 AND CAPE NEAR 1500 J/KG. THUS SOME AFTERNOON CONVECTION CANNOT BE RULED OUT. FURTHERMORE GIVEN THE TIMING OF THE DEPARTING EXPECTED OVERNIGHT COMPLEX...WILL NOT GET SPECIFIC WITH TIMING FOR NOW. GIVEN THE FRONTAL POSITION AND EXPECTED CLOUDS...MAVMOS APPEARS TOO WARM. WILL USE A BLEND FOR HIGHS...TRENDING COOLER THAN MAVMOS. AS HEATING IS LOST ON SATURDAY NIGHT...FORECAST SOUNDINGS DRY OUT CONSIDERABLY AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SAGS SOUTH TO THE OHIO RIVER AND SURFACE FLOW BECOMES NORTHEASTERLY. RIDGING CONTINUES TO REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA ALOFT AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS HINT AT A CAP IN PLACE. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD A DRY FORECAST DURING SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. TRENDING LOWS CLOSE TO MAVMOS AND HIGHS COOLER THAN MAVMOS. FURTHERMORE GIVEN THE EXPECTED RAIN PRIOR TO SATURDAY NIGHT...PROVIDING WET GROUND...THE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND COOL...LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BE IDEAL FOR FOG FORMATION ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FRONT. CHANCES FOR TSRA/SHRA WILL RETURN ON MONDAY ON LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS TOWARD INDIANA. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS UPPER SUPPORT IS LIMITED...HOWEVER THE LOW SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUSH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT AS SURFACE FLOW BECOMES SOUTHERLY ONCE AGAIN. THIS WILL RESULT IN MUCH OF THE AREA BEING IN THE WARM SECTOR AGAIN AS A MID LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES THE STATE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON ONCE AGAIN INDICATE FAVORABLE INSTABILITY WITH CAPES OVER 2000 J/KG AND LI/S LESS THAN -7. THUS WILL ONCE AGAIN TREND POPS HIGHER. ALSO GIVEN THE WARM AIR ADVECTION AND HEATING WILL TREND HIGH TEMPS WARMER THAN MEXMOS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ISSUED AT 240 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 MAIN FEATURES OF NOTE FOR THE LONG TERM ARE A SURFACE LOW PASSING THROUGH THE AREA ON MONDAY...FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY AN UPPER TROUGH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AND A NARROW BUT STRONG AXIS OF HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. LITTLE TO QUIBBLE ABOUT ON THESE FEATURES AS MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH ONLY TYPICAL MINOR TIMING AND STRENGTH DIFFERENCES AT THOSE TIME SCALES. ALLBLEND CAPTURES THESE FEATURES WELL AND NO MAJOR DEVIATIONS REQUIRED. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A POSSIBILITY WITH THE INITIAL SYSTEM...BUT ANY PRECIP WITH THE UPPER LOW TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WILL BE MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE. TEMPS WILL STEADILY COOL THROUGH THE LONG TERM WITH THE UPPER TROUGH AND TRAILING COOL SURFACE HIGH. HIGH TEMPS MAY BE BACK INTO THE 60S AS EARLY AS MID WEEK. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 041800Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 1240 PM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 WHAT LITTLE IS LEFT OF THE OLD CONVECTIVE COMPLEX EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF THE TAF SITES BY ISSUANCE TIME. MAIN INSTABILITY AXIS HAS SHIFTED INTO EASTERN INDIANA AND ALONG THE OHIO RIVER AHEAD OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. ALTHOUGH SOME INSTABILITY REMAINS LOCALLY...LENDING TO A LOW CONVECTIVE THREAT ACROSS THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON...EXPECTING THE MORE ORGANIZED DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR SOUTH AND EAST OF THE TAF SITES. MAY BE A BETTER THREAT FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION AFTER DARK AS STRONGER UPPER FLOW BEGINS INTERACTING WITH A SURFACE FRONTAL SYSTEM. BASED ON ABOVE...CANNOT REALLY PIN DOWN ANYTHING DEFINITIVE FROM A CONVECTIVE STANDPOINT AT THIS TIME...SO WILL LEAVE OUT OF FORECAST FOR NOW. OTHERWISE...POCKETS OF MVFR CEILINGS AROUND 020 IN THE PROCESS OF MIXING OUT DUE TO PASSAGE OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. CEILINGS GENERALLY ABOVE 050 EXPECTED FOR THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PUMA NEAR TERM...JH SHORT TERM...PUMA LONG TERM....NIELD AVIATION...JAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 444 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>069-072-050845- 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-JENNINGS- 444 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS: LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: AFTER 2 PM. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SAG INTO THE REGION TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE STORMS MAY LINGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS OR EVEN REDEVELOP DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE FORECAST SATURDAY...SATURDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT....WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. IT IS TOO SOON TO DETERMINE IF THE STORMS ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL BE SEVERE. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND WILL MEANDER BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE AREA WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ070-071-050845- LAWRENCE-JACKSON- 444 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST FORK OF THE WHITE RIVER. HAZARDS: LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND LIGHTNING. LOWLAND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE EAST FORK OF THE WHITE RIVER IN JACKSON AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES. TIMING: AFTER 2PM FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR FULL DETAILS ON RIVER FLOODING. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SAG INTO THE REGION TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE STORMS MAY LINGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS OR EVEN REDEVELOP DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE FORECAST SATURDAY...SATURDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT....WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. IT IS TOO SOON TO DETERMINE IF THE STORMS ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL BE SEVERE. LOWLAND FLOODING ALONG THE EAST FORK OF THE WHITE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO THE WEEKEND. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND WILL MEANDER BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE AREA WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) PUMA
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:49 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree and power lines were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Many tree limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Some of these caused significant damage to awnings.
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, May 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: 386886, 386887, 386888, 386889.