Indiana, 2012Rip Current in Indiana, September 9, 2012
September 9, 2012 · NWS IWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Gusty northerly winds across Lake Michigan caused numerous rip currents along the southeastern lake shore areas with waves of 3 to 6 feet common. A 57 year old man entered the water around 6 pm EDT and moved away from shore, despite warnings from family members and posted signs.
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
Gusty northerly winds across Lake Michigan caused numerous rip currents along the southeastern lake shore areas with waves of 3 to 6 feet common. A 57 year old man entered the water around 6 pm EDT and moved away from shore, despite warnings from family members and posted signs. He disappeared under the water, but was subsequently rescued by his son and a bystander. He was resuscitated and taken to a local hospital. However, less than 24 hours later he was pulled from life support and subsequently died.
What forecasters said that day
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 Sep 9, 1:24 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 1:24 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
324 PM EDT SUN SEP 9 2012
.SHORT TERM...
LAKE ENHANCED SHOWERS WERE STRADDLING THE FAR WEST PORTION OF THE
FORECAST AREA FROM NEXT LAPORTE DOWN TO CLOSE TO WINAMAC. EXPECT THE
SHOWERS TO DRIFT WEST BEFORE WEAKENING AND THEN DISSIPATE OVERNIGHT
AS INVERSION HEIGHTS FALL. MUCH DRIER AIR WAS OVER LOWER MICHIGAN
INCLUDING BIG RAPIDS WITH A DEW POINT OF ONLY 37F. THIS DRIER AIR
WAS SPREADING SOUTH AND SHOULD SPREAD OVER AT LEAST THE NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS SHOULD DECOUPLE THIS EVENING
WITH LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT ALONG WITH CLEARING SKIES.
CONDITIONS APPEAR IDEAL FOR RADIATION CONDITIONS ALONG WITH PATCHY
DENSE FOG FORMING LAST TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING RECENT
RAINFALL IN SOME AREAS. HAVE ADDED PATCHY DENSE FOG MOST AREAS
GIVEN A SHALLOW BUT STEEP INVERSION EXPECTED TO FORM. CAN NOT RULE
OUT A SPOT WITH A LOW DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 30S ALONG WITH
PATCHY FROST. FOR NOW...HAVE NOT MENTIONED ANY FROST IN THE
GRIDS/FORECAST. OTHERWISE...WINDS SHOULD BE MAINLY LIGHT WITH
SKIES BECOMING CLEAR OR MOSTLY CLEAR TONIGHT. FAVORED THE NAM/MET
LOWS BOTH TONIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT.
&&
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST
HALF OF THE PERIOD WITH MODERATING TEMPERATURES BACK TO NEAR OR
ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS AND LITTLE CLOUD COVER. GRIDS WERE IN DECENT
SHAPE ALREADY AND SEEN NO REASON TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.
MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON NEXT TROUGH SET TO DIG INTO THE REGION OVER
THE WEEKEND. MODELS CONTINUE TO VARY ON NOT ONLY TIMING OF INITIAL
TROUGH BUT HANDLING OF CYCLOGENESIS OVER THE WEEKEND AS STRONG JET
STREAK ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. FIRST...PREFER THE SLOWER
TRENDS OF ARRIVAL OF INITIAL...SOMEWHAT MSTR STARVED FRONT DEPICTED
BY THE 00Z ECMWF. ALLBLEND OF MODELS YIELDED A SLGT CHC INTO NW
PARTS OF THE AREA BY FRIDAY AND SLOWLY EXPANDED EAST WITH TIME INTO
FRI NGT AND SATURDAY. AFTER COORDINATION HAVE CONTINUED WITH DRY
FORECAST ON FRIDAY WITH EVEN THE FASTER GFS BARELY GETTING PRECIP IN
HERE BY 00Z SAT. THEN TRENDED SLOWER STILL WITH POPS UNTIL FAVORABLE
ARRIVAL OF FRONT ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...MODELS DIVERGE ON HANDLING
OF THIS INITIAL ENERGY AND WEAKNESS IN UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO THE
NORTH. GFS SPLITS THE ENERGY...DEVELOPING A CLOSED UPPER LOW THAT
MOVES NE ALONG THE STALLED FRONT AND BRINGS RAIN CHANCES BACK INTO
THE AREA FOR SAT NGT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. QUICK GLANCE AT 12Z ECMWF
DOES NOT LEAVE BEHIND ANY SIGNIFICANT ENERGY AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND SFC REFLECTION THAT TRACKS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN LAKES AND KEEPS BULK OF PRECIP NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE AREA.
DIFFICULT TO PLACE CONFIDENCE IN ANY MED RANGE MODEL WITH WHAT
HAPPENED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS WITH HANDLING OF PRECIP. GFS DID
END UP CORRECT IN SOME ASPECTS WITH MORE PROGRESSIVE WAVE VS MASSIVE
UPPER LOW THAT ECMWF INITIALLY HAD...BUT ECMWF DID COME AROUND TO
GFS SOLUTION. GIVEN SIMILAR PATTERN...COULD ARGUE GFS COULD VERIFY
OUT THIS WEEKEND. THINK THERE THREAT IS THERE...ALTHOUGH LOWER THAN
DEPICTED BY CHC ALL BLEND POPS. HAVE LOWERED TO SLGT CHC FOR SAT
NGT/SUNDAY AND WILL AWAIT LATER MODEL RUNS.
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE TROUGH AND COOLER FLOW...TEMPS WILL FALL
BACK TO BELOW NORMAL LEVELS IN THE LOWER 70S AND POSSIBLY COOLER
WITH INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP.
&&
.AVIATION...
LAKE ENHANCED SHOWERS SHOULD STAY WEST OF SBN THIS AFTERNOON GIVEN
THE EXPECTED TRAJECTORY. WINDS SHOULD DECOUPLE THIS EVENING WITH
LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. ADDED A TEMPO MVFR GROUND FOG GIVEN
IDEAL RADIATION CONDITIONS AND RECENT RAINFALL. THE GROUND FOG MAY
BECOME DENSE LOCALLY...BUT FOR NOW WENT WITH A TEMPO OF 4SM
BETWEEN 09Z AND 13Z OTHERWISE... CONDITIONS SHOULD BE VFR WITH
CLEARING SKIES TONIGHT.
&&
.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...RIP CURRENT RISK THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR INZ003.
MI...RIP CURRENT RISK THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR MIZ077.
OH...NONE.
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EDT MONDAY FOR LMZ043-046.
&&
SHORT TERM...SKIPPER
LONG TERM...FISHER
AVIATION...SKIPPER
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 9, 1:51 PM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
351 PM EDT SUN SEP 9 2012
INZ003-LMZ043-046-MIZ077-102000-
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
351 PM EDT SUN SEP 9 2012 /251 PM CDT SUN SEP 9 2012/
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA...
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN
LAKE MICHIGAN.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT ALONG
THE SOUTHEAST SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
INZ004>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ078>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-102000-
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-CASS MI-
ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-
PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...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...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...
STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON...
ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA...
PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA
351 PM EDT SUN SEP 9 2012 /251 PM CDT SUN SEP 9 2012/
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO...
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
PATCHY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
Rip Current, La Porte
- When
- September 9, 5:00 PM CST to 5:10 PM CST
- Where
- La Porte forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Newspaper
A 57 year old man entered the water around 6 pm EDT in Michigan City and moved away from shore, despite warnings from family members and posted signs. Waves at the time were in the 3 to 6 foot range. He disappeared under the water, but was subsequently rescued by his son and a bystander. He was resuscitated and taken to a local hospital. However, less than 24 hours later he was pulled from life support and subsequently died.
- Rip Current
- A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Wildfire in Wyoming, September 9 to 16, 2012$4.0 million · 1 event
- Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain in Arizona, September 9, 2012$30,000 · 56 kt wind · 4 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in California, September 9 to 10, 2012$16,000 · EF0 · 14 events
- Waterspouts in Lake Michigan, September 9, 20124 events
- Flash Flooding in California, September 9 to 10, 20122 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in Gulf of Mexico, September 9, 20121 event
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 9, 20121 event
- Wildfire in Oregon, September 9 to 30, 20121 event
- Waterspout in Lake Ontario, September 9, 20121 event
- Wildfire in Washington, September 9 to 14, 20121 event
- Dust Storm in Arizona, September 9, 20121 event
- Flash Flood in California, September 9, 20121 event
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: 399646.