A large line of storms swept across central Indiana overnight causing sporadic damage in many areas. One weak tornado occurred west of Brownsburg near North Salem.
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 large line of storms swept across central Indiana overnight causing sporadic damage in many areas. One weak tornado occurred west of Brownsburg near North Salem. Toppled trees, snapped limbs, and damage to a barn and house revealed evidence of rotation in the winds and damage consistent with an EF0 tornado. | |Surveying in the Roachdale area north of Greencastle also yielded evidence of an EF0 tornado, where structural and tree damage was observed.| |Additional damage survey work in southern Hendricks County southwest of Plainfield revealed two separate paths of straight-line wind damage paralleling both sides of US 40 east of Stilesville. Damage in Hazelwood, the southern-most of the two tracks, also offered evidence of a microburst, intense damage over a short and narrow path.
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 20, 11:15 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1215 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 A LARGE UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER THE PLAINS IS EXPECTED TO BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY AS IT SLOWLY MOVES EAST AND WEAKENS WITH TIME. IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM...HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD INTO THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 835 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 CONVECTION ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA HAS CEASED...AND NOW FOCUS IS ON CONVECTION MOVING INTO ILLINOIS AT THE MOMENT. CURRENT TIMING ON CONVECTION IN ILLINOIS PUTS IT IN CENTRAL INDIANA AFTER MIDNIGHT. THUS HAVE REMOVED POPS MOST AREAS UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT...THEN GRADUALLY INCREASED THEM BACK UP TO PREVIOUS FORECAST. MAY HAVE TO UP THEM INTO LIKELY OR HIGHER CATEGORY LATER THIS EVENING DEPENDING ON HOW CONVECTION IN ILLINOIS MOVES/DEVELOPS. RIGHT NOW THE NORTHWEST FORECAST AREA LOOKS TO BE THE AREA WHERE POPS WOULD HAVE TO BE INCREASED. DEEP LAYER SHEAR...INITIALLY RATHER WEAK THIS EVENING...IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN LATER TONIGHT. AS A RESULT...THINK THE POTENTIAL FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE CONVECTION SHOULD GRADUALLY INCREASE AS TIME GOES BY TONIGHT. THUS WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION SEVERE THREAT FOR AFTER MIDNIGHT. NO CHANGES MADE TO TEMPERATURES AT THIS TIME. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 MAIN FEATURE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE THE LARGE UPPER LOW OVER THE PLAINS THAT IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY OPEN UP AND MOVE INTO THE MIDWEST BY THURSDAY...KEEPING THE SHORT TERM UNSETTLED. DETAILS REVOLVING AROUND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY OR ANY EFFECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES TO FOCUS CONVECTION ON OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS IS STILL MURKY...WITH SEVERAL ROUNDS OF CONVECTION EXPECTED. ACTUAL COLD FRONT MAY NOT PASS UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY MORNING. APPEARS FROM THE MODEL DATA...THE BEST PRECIPITATION SIGNALS ARRIVE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...SO WILL GO WITH THE HIGHEST POPS DURING THOSE TIMES. WILL GO WITH CHANCE POPS IN THE OTHER PERIODS FOR NOW. AT THIS POINT...THE COMBINATION OF LAPSE RATES AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR SUGGEST THAT TUESDAY MAY HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE CONVECTION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. BY WEDNESDAY...LAPSE RATES BECOME POORER...WHICH SHOULD HELP TO DIMINISH THE SEVERE THREAT BY THAT TIME. GIVEN PROGGED LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES AND EXPECTED CONVECTION OR CLOUD COVER...THE GFS MOS HIGHS FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY LOOK A LITTLE WARM. WILL NUDGE THE NUMBERS DOWN A FEW DEGREES. GUIDANCE LOWS LOOK OK. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 DRY WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED DURING THIS PERIOD AND THE ECMWF AND THE GFS BOTH AGREE IN BUILDING A LARGE RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS ACROSS INDIANA DURING THIS TIME. A SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA ON THURSDAY...ALLOWING THE LEE SIDE OF THE RIDGE AND ASSOCIATED SUBSIDENCE ON NORTHWEST WIND TO ARRIVE ACROSS THE AREA FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN DRY WEATHER WITH TEMPS AT OR BELOW SEASONABLE NORMALS AS DUE TO THE COOL CANADIAN AIR. TEMPS WILL GRADUALLY WARM ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS THE RIDGE PROGRESSES EASTWARD AND WARMER...MORE HUMID AIR ARRIVES ON SOUTHERLY WINDS ON THE BACK OF THE RIDGE. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 210600Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 1215 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 RADAR REFLECTIVITY AND RAPID REFRESH REFLECTIVITY PROGS SUGGESTS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL MOVE INTO THE LAF AND HUF AREAS AROUND 07Z AND IND AND BMG AFTER 08Z. SO...WILL HAVE TEMPO IFR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 11Z AT LAF AND HUF AND 12Z AT IND AND BMG WITH VCTS FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER AS A BUFFER. THEN...ATMOSPHERE LIKELY TO DESTABILIZE LATE IN THE DAY WITH MORE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ON TAP ESPECIALLY AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY. COULD SEE WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS WITH SUSTAINED WINDS 20 KNOTS FROM THE SOUTHWEST WITHIN THE LINE OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...POTENTIAL FOR SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST WINDS TO NEAR 20 KNOTS GUSTING TO NEAR 30 KNOTS AFTER 15Z TODAY AS THE ATMOSPHERE MIXES. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JAS NEAR TERM...JAS/50 SHORT TERM...JAS LONG TERM....PUMA AVIATION...MK VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 810 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-220015- 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- 810 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE. HAZARDS: LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...LIGHTNING. TIMING: AFTER MIDNIGHT. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BEGIN ITS APPROACH TO THE AREA TONIGHT. AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO CENTRAL INDIANA AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...THE MOST LIKELY THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS LOOKS TO BE TUESDAY EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA MID WEEK BRINGING SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE SYSTEM WILL BE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES IN...BUT SEVERE STORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AT TIMES STARTING OVERNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && 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
200 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013
INZ028-029-035-036-043>045-051>053-210645-
CLAY-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-OWEN-PARKE-PUTNAM-TIPPECANOE-VERMILLION-
VIGO-WARREN-
200 AM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR CLAY...FOUNTAIN...MONTGOMERY...
NORTHERN OWEN...PARKE...PUTNAM...TIPPECANOE...EASTERN VERMILLION...
EASTERN VIGO AND WARREN COUNTIES UNTIL 245 AM EDT...
AT 156 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES EAST OF NEWPORT...OR 21 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CRAWFORDSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
CRAWFORDSVILLE...
LAFAYETTE...
GREENCASTLE...
VEEDERSBURG...
WILLIAMSPORT...
WEST LAFAYETTE...
QUINCY...
PENCE...
WALLACE...
WAVELAND...
WEST LEBANON...
SHADES STATE PARK...
RUSSELLVILLE...
TAB...
ALAMO...
HILLSBORO...
FILLMORE...
BAINBRIDGE...
MELLOTT...
WAYNETOWN...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY....AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS
AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS
LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS....FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 4056 8670 3930 8672 3929 8746 4002 8739
4037 8754 4048 8752 4048 8710 4057 8709
TIME...MOT...LOC 0600Z 235DEG 50KT 3995 8719
KOCHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
29 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A barn was destroyed and trees were downed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees were reported down in the area due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Surveying in the Roachdale area, north of Greencastle, yielded evidence of an EF-0 tornado. It occurred around 2:30 A.M. EDT just south of Roachdale where barn, shed, and tree damage were observed, suggesting rotating winds of up to 85 mph. An irrigation system was also flipped. This tornado was on the ground for approximately one mile in length and 1 to 2 minutes in time.
One weak tornado occurred west of Brownsburg near North Salem. Toppled trees, snapped limbs, light damage to a barn, and minor roof damage revealed evidence of rotation in the winds and damage consistent with an EF0 tornado with winds up to 85 mph.
Roof damage was reported in downtown Washington due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. One of the roofs was only 2 years old and debris from it flew three blocks. Some damage to old trees and structurally unsound out-buildings and canopys were also noted. Thunderstorm wind damage was observed from Southwest 5th Street to Northeast 21st Street.
Trees were reported down, along with some structural roof damage, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Power outages were also noted, along with dime sized hail.
Tree damage was reported in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Tree damage was reported in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Some minor tree damage was noted across portions of Greene County due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down in Hazelwood due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down near Cartersburg due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Power lines were reported down near Echo Lake due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Tree and power line damage was reported mainly from the southern part of Monroe County due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A large tree was reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees and limbs were reported down in Brownsburg due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Two chicken houses were destroyed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees and power lines were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. There was also wind damage done to a CVS store and a Speedway gas station.
Trees and limbs were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees and limbs were downed near the intersection of Franklin and Shelbyville Roads due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A tree was reported down at the intersection of County Roads 100 North and 200 East due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Winds were estimated at 65 mph.
A measured thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph was observed in this location.
A three inch diameter tree was snapped at 116th Street and Springmill Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. This report was received via twitter.
A tree was reported down on State Road 32, near Windsor Way, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A two foot diameter tree was blown onto a vehicle due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Tree damage was reported from the intersection of County Roads 950 West and 700 South due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down, with at least one down on a vehicle, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A couple trees were downed in southwest Decatur County due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2013Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 444146, 444150, 444151, 457128, 457133, 444172, 444159, 456378, 456379, 456377, 456442, 456448, 456452, 456468, 456469, 456395, 456471, 456475, 456438, 456478, 456481, 456483, 456504, 456523, 456529, 456537, 456544, 456552, 456556, 456560, 456564.