Local news media reported numerous water rescues of motorists, evacuations of homes, and school closings or delays on the 19th in west central and north central Indiana. On the 20th, two motorists perished while attempting to drive through the near record flood waters of Cicero Creek near Arcadia in northern Hamilton County.
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.
Local news media reported numerous water rescues of motorists, evacuations of homes, and school closings or delays on the 19th in west central and north central Indiana. On the 20th, two motorists perished while attempting to drive through the near record flood waters of Cicero Creek near Arcadia in northern Hamilton County. All of this was due to ongoing rainfall across central Indiana.
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 Apr 19, 3:39 PM EST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 439 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 222 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN TONIGHT FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WHICH WILL ALLOW CLEARING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO DROP TO JUST BELOW FREEZING AT MOST LOCALES. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL ON SATURDAY IN THE 40S AND 50S DESPITE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE...AND TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN FALL TO AROUND FREEZING SATURDAY NIGHT. BY SUNDAY...SOUTHEAST WINDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL IN THE 60S. DRY WEATHER THROUGH MONDAY SHOULD ALLOW THE FLOODING TO IMPROVE SOME. THEN...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH MORE SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SMALL SHOWER SHOWERS WILL THEN LINGER THROUGH LATE WEEK ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA AS A TRAILING UPPER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL ONCE AGAIN FALL TO BELOW NORMAL BEHIND THE FRONT. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 222 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 MAIN CHALLENGE TO THE NEAR TERM WILL BE TIMING OF CLEARING AND RESULTANT OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WITH A POTENTIAL FREEZE AT STAKE. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING NORTHEAST FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN OHIO VALLEY BY 12Z SATURDAY. MODELS ALSO AGREE ON SLOWLY BRINGING DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR IN FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST LATE TONIGHT. THE KEY WILL BE HOW FAR THE CLEARING GETS AS 12Z MOS AGREES ON THE POTENTIAL FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF SLIGHTLY SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES NEAR 12Z IN ANY LOCALE THAT CAN CLEAR OUT. CONFIDENCE IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES GREATER SOUTHWEST THAN NORTHEAST AS A RESULT. BEST CORRELATION OF BACK OF THE STRATOCU CLOUD EDGE IS THE RAP13 925 MILLIBAR 75% LINE WHICH ONLY MAKES IT TO OUR EXTREME SOUTHWEST BY 06Z TONIGHT. OTHER MODELS ARE ALSO SIMILAR IN A SLOWER CLEARING THAN MOS SUGGESTS. SO...WILL TREND BACK ON THE CLEARING...BUT STILL MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD AT LEAST SEE ENOUGH BREAKS FOR A BRIEF LIGHT FREEZE PER SIMILAR 12Z MOS. SO...WILL GO WITH A SHORT FREEZE WARNING FOR ALL OF CENTRAL INDIANA FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM EDT. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... ISSUED AT 222 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 MAIN FOCUS ON THE SHORT TERM WILL BE ON TEMPERATURES AS MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT HIGH PRESSURE AND DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS WILL RESULT IN DRY WEATHER THROUGH MONDAY. CU DEVELOPMENT PROGS SUGGEST SCATTERED TO BROKEN AFTERNOON CU ON SATURDAY...OTHERWISE MODEL TIME SECTIONS SUGGEST ONLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AHEAD OF A LOW AMPLITUDE PLAINS TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED WITH PACIFIC FETCH OF MOISTURE. NORTHWEST WINDS ON SATURDAY WILL VEER TO EAST SATURDAY AND SOUTHEAST SUNDAY WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM TO CLOSER TO NORMAL BY SUNDAY AND AROUND NORMAL ON MONDAY. WITH INCREASING HIGH AND MID CLOUDS TOWARDS 12Z SUNDAY...WILL NOT ISSUE ANY FREEZE HEADLINES...ALTHOUGH MOS NUMBERS ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO FREEZING. PREFER NUMBERS CLOSER TO THE NOT AS COLD 12Z NAM MOS DUE TO THE INCREASED CLOUD COVER. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... ISSUED AT 222 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 MODELS ARE SIMILAR ENOUGH THAT THE ALLBLEND INITIALIZATION CAN BE USED FOR MOST ITEMS IN THE LONG TERM. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA DURING THE EXTENDED...BRINGING CHANCES FOR RAIN AND ANOTHER SHOT OF COOLER AIR. A COLD FRONT WILL LEAD THE WAY FOR THE COOLER AIR...BRINGING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. AS THE COOLER AIR AND UPPER TROUGH MOVE IN...CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL FROM HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S ON MONDAY TO THE 50S ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. LOWS WILL DIP INTO THE 30S BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES MAY BEGIN TO REBOUND NEXT FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 19/2100Z TAF UPDATE/... ISSUED AT 430 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 UPDATE... NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... GENERALLY VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH PERHAPS BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR EARLY. GUSTY WINDS WILL SUBSIDE AFTER 00Z. EXPECT STRATOCU TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE SITES FOR ABOUT THE FIRST HALF OF THE TAF PERIOD...THEN CLOUDS SHOULD SCATTER OUT BY 08Z OR SO. EXPECT CEILINGS TO BE LOW VFR...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT BRIEF PERIODS AROUND BKN025 EARLY IN THE PERIOD. ALSO CANNOT RULE OUT SOME FLURRIES OR VERY LIGHT SLEET IN THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF THE TAF PERIOD...BUT NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED. WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 30KT THROUGH 00Z THEN DIMINISH. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FREEZE WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR INZ021-028>031- 035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...KOCH NEAR TERM...KOCH SHORT TERM...KOCH LONG TERM....50 AVIATION...50/TDUD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 236 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 INZ021-028>031-035>040-043>048-051>055-060>063-067>070-201000- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS- MARION-HANCOCK-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SULLIVAN-GREENE- MONROE-BROWN-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE- 236 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: FLOODING INTO THE EVENING. FREEZING TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. HAZARDS: FLOODED ROADS AND STREAMS. RIVER FLOODING. FREEZING TEMPERATURES. TIMING: FLOODING THROUGH THE EVENING. FREEZING TEMPERATURES AFTER 400 AM TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS IN PROGRESS. MANY ROADS ARE FLOODED AND CLOSED AS CREEKS AND STREAMS HAVE RUN OUT OF THEIR BANKS. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 6 PM EDT...AND MUCH COOLER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO INDIANA. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO...OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING AFTER 400 AM TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTLOOK: ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING MORE THUNDERSTORMS NEXT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS. RIVER FLOODING WILL BE ONGOING MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. DISCUSSION: COLD HIGH PRESSURE MAY BRING FROST ON SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A WARM UP IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM BRINGING A RAIN THREAT BY MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY REPORT ANY ONGOING FLOODING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ041-042-049-056-057-064-065-071-072-201000- DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-HENRY-SHELBY-RUSH-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-JACKSON- JENNINGS- 236 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: FREEZING TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. HAZARDS: FREEZING TEMPERATURES. TIMING: AFTER 400 AM TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 6 PM EDT...AND MUCH COOLER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO INDIANA. COLD AIR ARRIVING IN THE AREA MAY RESULT IN TEMPERATURES FALLING TO OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING AFTER 400 AM TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OUTLOOK: ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING MORE THUNDERSTORMS NEXT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS. DISCUSSION: COLD HIGH PRESSURE MAY BRING FROST ON SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A WARM UP IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM BRINGING A RAIN THREAT BY MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Bottom and Centenary Roads flooded and closed near White Lick Creek just south and east of Brooklyn. High water was also reported over Tidewater Road to the south of Brooklyn. These reports came via a retired NWS employee.
Flooding was reported on Lafayette Avenue near Sugar Creek due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall. The Lafayette Avenue bridge was closed to vehicular traffic. Nearby softball diamonds were under water and the Creekside Restaurant was inaccessible.
A 64-year-old Arcadia man died when he tried to cross a flooded Mount Pleasant Road, south of 266th Street. His vehicle was swept off the road around 7:45 p.m. on the 19th and moved about 100 yards downstream in Cicero Creek.
A 42-year-old Arcadia man and his car was swept away in the same location near Cicero Creek on the early morning of the 20th. He was found dead on the morning of the 21st. There was a report of road blocks being across the street at the time.
The flooding was due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Hamilton | 2013-04-19 | 64 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flood, Hamilton | 2013-04-20 | 42 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, April 2013
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: 448252, 448443, 448423.