Strong mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) moved out of northern Illinois into northern Indiana, with a line of thunderstorms trailing the feature. An outflow boundary moved south out of Lower Michigan into the area.
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 IWX wrote it up.
Strong mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) moved out of northern Illinois into northern Indiana, with a line of thunderstorms trailing the feature. An outflow boundary moved south out of Lower Michigan into the area. These features entered an unstable atmosphere, with upwards of 4000 j/kg of CAPE across far northern Indiana. Numerous storms developed across the area and moved east. Sporadic wind damage was reported with the largely outflow dominant north-south line of storms as it moved across the area. The greatest concentration of damage occurred across St. Joseph and Elkhart counties where some minor injuries were reported as tree limbs fell onto vehicles.
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 Jun 18, 12:41 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 141 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 422 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY SETS UP OVER THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEING AIDED BY VERY WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS CURRENTLY IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS AROUND 70. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1010 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 INTERESTING BUT COMPLICATED NR TERM THIS MORNING AS POTENT UPSTREAM MCV PIVOTS OUT OF SE MN. ATTENDANT BKN LINE OF CONVN FM SRN WI SWWD INTO ERN SHOWING SIGNS NOW OF FWD PROPAGATION INTO RAPIDLY GROWING INSTABILITY AXIS POSITIONED W-E ACRS THE SRN LAKES INVOF DECAYING CIRRUS SHIELD...AND NO DOUBT AUGMENTED W/POTENT 50KT MID LVL SPEED MAX. HWVR COMPLICATING FCTR IS OUTFLW BNDRY EXTENDING FM FAR NE IL ESE INTO NW OH THAT MAY WITH TIME INITIATE ADDNL CONVN AHD OF THE BOWING LINE MVG OUT OF SE WI. AT EITHER RATE IT WOULD APPEAR A MORE CONSIDERABLE RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS IS SHAPING UP FOR THIS AFTN. ZONE UPDATES WILL BE FORTHCOMING. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 422 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES FOR THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES AS SEVERAL CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED SHORTWAVES EJECT OUT OF WESTERN CONUS UPPER LOW AND TRAVEL ALONG QUASI-STATIONARY E-W FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED THROUGH THE REGION. STRONG LLJ AHEAD OF THE MAIN TROUGH IS STILL MAINTAINING A CONTINUAL FEED OF VERY HIGH THETA-E AIR INTO THE MIDWEST AND OHIO VALLEY...SUPPORTING UNSTABLE CONDITIONS. SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS NIGHT...CONVECTION HAS FIRED UPSTREAM ON THE NOSE OF THE LLJ/MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND HAS SLOWLY DRIFTED EASTWARD. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT STORM CLUSTERS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE DISCREET AND DISORGANIZED THUS FAR. UPSCALE GROWTH/ORGANIZATION LIKELY INHIBITED BY VERY STRONG CAPPING INVERSION NOTED ON 00Z KILX AND KDVN SOUNDINGS AS WELL AS A LACK OF ANY CLEAR SYNOPTIC SCALE SHORTWAVE/LINEAR FORCING. STORM CLUSTERS TO OUR NORTH AND NORTHWEST HAVE GRADUALLY FILLED IN/CONGLOMERATED DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS THOUGH...THANKS TO NOCTURNAL STRENGTHENING OF LLJ AND ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AVAILABLE UPSTREAM. QUESTION IS HOW WILL THIS ACTIVITY EVOLVE THROUGH THE MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. LATEST SURFACE OBS ACTUALLY SHOW A FAIRLY PRONOUNCED TEMP AND MOISTURE GRADIENT JUST NORTH OF OUR CWA. ISENTROPIC ASCENT ALONG AND NORTH OF THIS SURFACE BOUNDARY IS DRIVING MUCH OF THE CURRENT CONVECTION WHILE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS CAPPED TO THE SOUTH. NOTHING TO FORCE THIS FRONT SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE MORNING WITH CONTINUAL SOUTHWEST FLOW/WAA AND NO ORGANIZED COLD POOLS/OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AS OF YET. THEREFORE EXPECT OUR CWA WILL REMAIN LARGELY DRY DURING THIS PERIOD. SITUATION MAY CHANGE BY THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 00Z MODELS SUGGEST THAT A SUBTLE WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH CONVECTION CURRENTLY OVER FAR NW IA AND SOUTHERN MN WILL PUSH ESE BY LATER TODAY. SIMULTANEOUS SOUTHWARD PUSH OF CANADIAN ANTICYCLONE MAY FORCE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTHWARD A BIT...WITH THE HELP OF COLD LAKES AND OUTFLOW FROM MORNING THUNDERSTORMS. MODELS INDICATE THIS WILL LIKELY BE ENOUGH TO WEAKEN THE STRONG CAP IN PLACE ACROSS OUR CWA AND ALLOW STORMS TO DEVELOP AND/OR PROPAGATE INTO OUR AREA BY THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LATEST HRRR AND HI-RES WRF-NMM ARE GENERALLY IN LINE WITH THIS IDEA. IF THE CAP DOES BREAK AS EXPECTED THEN SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE QUITE POSSIBLE. MODIFIED FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE AROUND 3000 J/KG OF SBCAPE ACROSS THE AREA BY THE AFTERNOON. 0-6KM BULK SHEAR IS NOT AS HIGH SOUTH OF I-80 BUT SUFFICIENT FOR ORGANIZED LINE SEGMENTS/BOWS GIVEN LARGELY UNIDIRECTIONAL WIND FIELDS. LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP. THREAT FOR TORNADOES IS MUCH LOWER GIVEN LIMITED LOW LEVEL DIRECTIONAL SHEAR BUT CAN'T RULE IT OUT ENTIRELY. ALL OF THIS IS OF COURSE CONDITIONAL ON MORNING CONVECTIVE TRENDS AND GETTING ENOUGH SYNOPTIC SCALE ASCENT/COOLING TO ERODE THE STOUT 850-750MB INVERSION. CONFIDENCE IN THIS SCENARIO IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO SUPPORT LIKELY POPS JUST YET AND WILL HOLD WITH HIGH END CHANCES. THESE CHANCES WILL CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD AS LLJ STRENGTHENS ONCE AGAIN AND POSSIBLY SUPPORTS PERSISTENT CONVECTION FOR OUR CWA IF SOUTHWARD PUSH OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY MATERIALIZES. && .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 422 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 LITTLE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO LONG TERM PERIOD. EXPECT PRODIGIOUS CONVECTION SPAWNING ALONG/DOWNSTREAM OF INTENSE INTERMOUNTAIN MID TROPOSPHERIC VORTEX TO CONTINUE INTO THIS WEEKEND. ACTIVE PATTERN WITH CONTINUATION OF CONVECTIVE INDUCED MESOVORTICIES AFFORDING TO INITIATE/RENEW TSRA ALONG/NORTH OF SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT PRESENTLY EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN NE TO CENTRAL WI THEN SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION. WHILE STRONGEST INSTABILITY AND MORE SIGNIFICANT FOCUS FOR INITIATION REMAINS UPSTREAM OF CWA ON THU...HAVE CONTD CHC POP MENTION/HIGHEST IN SOUTHWEST CWA AS NORTHERN ONTARIO ANTICYCLONE SHIFTS SEWD AND ASSERTS RIDGING SOUTHWARD THROUGH LAKE HURON INTO NWRN OH...SHUNTING CONVECTIVE MAINTENANCE FARTHER SOUTH AS IT PROGRESSES DOWNSTREAM. FRIDAY PRESENTS EVEN HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION AS LOBE OF SIGNIFICANT 30-50M/12 HR MID LEVEL HEIGHT FALLS PEELS THROUGH WESTERN GREAT LAKES AS PRIMARY UPSTREAM VORTEX BIFURCATES DOWNSTREAM RIDGE TO BECOME REXED ACROSS SOUTHERN MANITOBA. MID 80S/NEAR 70 SURFACE CONDITIONS YIELD MODERATE INSTABILITY 2500-3500 J/KG SBCAPE AND MODEST DEEP LAYER SHEAR. DIFFERENTIATED FRIDAY WITH LIKELY POPS SANS TIMING GIVEN BETTER SIGNALS AMID RICH THETA-E REGIME FIRMLY IN PLACE. THEREAFTER INCREASING MODEL DIVERGENCE NOTED WITH DEVOLUTION OF REXED SYSTEM WITH ECMWF/GEM MAINTAINING ORPHANED TROFFING ACROSS NORTHERN GREAT LAKES INTO NORTHERN PLAINS INTO NEXT WEEK AND GFS ESPECIALLY BTWN ECMWF AND GEM VS GFS RELEASE DOWNSTREAM THROUGH THE LOWER GREAT LAKES DYS5/6. POSSIBLE LULL SATURDAY THOUGH HIGHLY CONTINGENT ON FRIDAY CONVECTION LEADING TO SUBSTANTIAL OVERTURNING AND FAR SOUTHWARD BOUNDARY SHUNT. AT THIS TIME LOW CHANCE MENTION REMAINS GIVEN HIGH CONDITIONALITY. TREND DRY MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY AS DEEPER NORTH/NORTHEAST FLOW PER NORTHERN GREAT && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 140 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 SHALLOW/BRIEF MVFR CIGS ASSOCD/W TAIL END OF DECAYING CONV REMNANTS ACRS NW IN WILL MIX OUT QUICKLY INTO THIS AFTN. LTL SIGN YET OF WHERE/WHEN RENEWED CONV DVLPMNT WILL OCCUR AND AS SUCH WILL SIT TIGHT W/IMPLIED DRY TAF FCST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS FOR NEW CONVN TO INITIATE FM ERN IA EWD THROUGH NRN IL THIS EVENING AS LLJ KICKS UP AND THEN GROW UPSCALE INTO A FWD PROPAGATING MCS AS IT SPREADS EWD THROUGH THE SRN LAKES OVERNIGHT. OTRWS GUSTY SWRLY GRADIENT WINDS WILL SUBSIDE BY SUNSET. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && UPDATE...T SYNOPSIS...AGD SHORT TERM...AGD LONG TERM...MURPHY AVIATION...T VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX (ALL LOWER CASE) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.NORTHERNIN.GOV WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSIWX WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSNORTHERNINDIANA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 452 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-190900- LA PORTE-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-BERRIEN- CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE- HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...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...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS... STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON... ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA... PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA 452 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 /352 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING THURSDAY AND ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-190900- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 452 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1226 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
MIZ077-078-181700-
BERRIEN MI-CASS MI-
1226 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD CASS AND EASTERN BERRIEN
COUNTIES...
AT 1225 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM NEAR DOWAGIAC...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
25 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
DOWAGIAC...
CASSOPOLIS...
MAGICIAN LAKE...
LA GRANGE...
DIAMOND LAKE...
PENN...VANDALIA AND PARADISE LAKE...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.
SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
LAT...LON 4207 8577 4191 8577 4179 8625 4206 8631
4208 8622
TIME...MOT...LOC 1626Z 247DEG 23KT 4192 8615
BENTLEYThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:55 UTC.
31 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported a tree was blown down onto County Road 4.
A trained spotter reported several trees down.
Local media reported a tree was blown down onto a van. The female driver was extricated from the van, suffering from minor injuries.
Law enforcement officials reported numerous trees and utility lines down across much of the eastern half of the county.
The public reported a tree was blown down onto a home.
Local newspapers reported trees and power lines were blown down across Elkhart.
The public estimated wind gusts in the 60 to 65 mph range.
A trained spotter reported large branches down on County Road 15, north of County Road 38.
A trained spotter reported a large tree fell onto a car. No details on the occupants were available.
Emergency management officials reported multiple trees and tree limbs down across the city.
Amateur radio operators reported two small pear trees were blown down.
The public reported multiple trees down across the area.
Law enforcement officials reported a tree was blown down onto Wooster Road.
Law enforcement officials reported utility lines were blown down.
Emergency management officials reported a tree was uprooted onto power lines in the Dewart Lake area.
Emergency management officials reported utility lines and poles down at County Road 600 East and 100 South.
A NWS employee reported a small tree was blown down at their residence.
Emergency management officials reported several large trees limbs were down across the county.
Emergency management officials reported utility lines down in the area. A horse stall was reported blown over.
Emergency management officials reported trees and utility line down from Corunna to Butler.
Emergency management officials reported a tree was blown down onto a residence.
A trained spotter measured a 60 mph wind gust just east of the Fort Wayne International Airport.
Local media reports trees and utility lines are down near the intersection of Coliseum and Anthony Blvd.
The public reported a large tree snapped at the base.
A trained spotter reported a medium size tree being split by the strong winds with a portion of it on the ground.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust to 62 mph.
A tree was reported blown down one mile northwest of Decatur by emergency management officials.
Law enforcement officials reported trees down across the county.
Emergency management officials reported trees were blown down near US-24 and County Road 800 West in Lake Cicott.
Emergency management officials reported a tree was blown down onto power lines.
Law enforcement officials reported a tree was blown down onto a power line.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, June 2014
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: 529718, 529719, 529721, 529723, 529724, 529725, 529727, 529729, 529731, 529733, 529734, 529735, 529736, 529738, 529739, 529709, 529705, 529706, 529704, 529703, 529702, 529602, 529701, 529696, 529700, 529740, 529695, 529607, 529606, 529605, 529604.