Thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the evening of April 9th and then pushed across central Indiana into the early morning hours of April 10th. Some of the storms became severe, producing damaging winds.
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.
Thunderstorms developed along a cold front during the evening of April 9th and then pushed across central Indiana into the early morning hours of April 10th. Some of the storms became severe, producing damaging winds. Heavy rain and small hail occurred with some 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 Apr 9, 9:42 PM EST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1042 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 146 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 A COLD FRONT IS GOING TO CROSS INDIANA OVERNIGHT. FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRAVEL WEST TO EAST ACROSS OUR STATE. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO TRAVERSE THE HOOSIER STATE MONDAY. A SECOND HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE IN AFTER THAT. WEDNESDAY A WARM FRONT SHOULD TAKE OVER INDIANA WEATHER. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 934 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS BROKEN LINE OF STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST TOWARD WESTERN INDIANA AROUND 45 MPH. EXPECT STORMS TO REACH NORTHWEST COUNTIES AROUND 1030 PM...INDY METRO MIDNIGHT TO 1 AM...AND SOUTHEAST COUNTIES AROUND 1-3 AM. INDIVIDUAL CELLS REMAIN IN TACT AND HAVE NOT CONGEALED INTO A LINE AT THIS POINT. INSTABILITY IS LESS FAVORABLE OVER INDIANA BUT SHEAR IS STILL PRETTY STRONG. SEVERE THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS/LARGE HAIL/ISOLATED TORNADOES AND FLASH FLOODING REMAINS. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 146 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 MODELS CONCUR ABOUT A MOSTLY DRY PERIOD. A WEAK WAVE SHOULD MAKE FRIDAY A PARTLY CLOUDY DAY...AND POSSIBLY GENERATE SPRINKLES IN OUR NORTHEAST COUNTIES. AFTER THAT IT LOOKS LIKE CLEAR WEATHER UNTIL SUNDAY WHEN WARM ADVECTION ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH SHOULD BRING CLOUDS AGAIN. THE MODELS ARE VERY CLOSE WITH THE DETERMINISTIC THERMAL FIELDS. THESE ARE IN LINE WITH THE STATISTICAL GUIDANCE THROUGH TOMORROW. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY ARE A DIFFERENT STORY. THE 850 MILLIBAR TEMPERATURES APPROACH ZERO AND 1000 TO 500 MILLIBAR THICKNESS DROPS TO NEAR 540. THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH TEMPERATURES AT LEAST TWO CATEGORIES BELOW GUIDANCE. WHILE I AM NOT WILLING TO CUT SO MUCH SO FAR IN ADVANCE I WILL BE A CATEGORY BELOW THE COLDEST GUIDANCE. GIVEN THE ABOVE...AND THAT WE WILL BE UNDER THE CENTER OF A DRY HIGH...FROST WILL BE MENTIONED FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GUIDANCE GUIDANCE SEEMS TO COME BACK IN LINE WITH THE THERMAL FIELDS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... ISSUED AT 256 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 UNSETTLED WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE TIMEFRAME BEGINS WITH AN UPPER TROUGH PUSHING EASTWARD FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THIS SENDS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL INDIANA ON MONDAY. POPS REMAIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. MODEL GUIDANCE AND REGIONAL INITIALIZATION IS IN AGREEMENT HERE. HOWEVER...THAT IS WHERE THE AGREEMENT STOPS. THE 09/00Z EURO LIFTS THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON TUESDAY...WHILE THE 12Z GFS SHUNTS THE FRONT FURTHER SOUTH AND DOES NOT RETURN IT NORTH UNTIL WEDNESDAY. DECIDED TO STICK CLOSE TO THE REGIONAL INITIALIZATION WHICH MIRRORED THE 09/00Z EUROPEAN SOLUTION. THIS KEPT THE FORECAST AREA UNDER NUMEROUS PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED TIMEFRAME...ESPECIALLY AS A STRONG UPPER TROUGH EJECTS EASTWARD FROM THE MID TO UPPER ROCKIES ON WEDNESDAY. AT THE PRESENT TIME...SEVERE WEATHER WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY WITH THIS STRONG SYSTEM. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS. ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES CHARACTERIZE THE EXTENDED PERIOD AS WELL. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 10/0300Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 1040 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 THE MAIN FOCUS OF TAF PERIOD WILL BE SQUALL LINE WITH POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF IT TONIGHT. LINE IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT TAF SITES BETWEEN FRI 03-07Z...STARTING WITH KHUF AND MOVING EASTWARD. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL UP TO THAT POINT...BUT CONDITIONS COULD QUICKLY DETERIORATE TO MVFR OR WORSE DURING PASSAGE OF SQUALL LINE. VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN AROUND FRI 10-12Z. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD THOUGH EVEN OUTSIDE ANY THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED OUT OF THE WEST/SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS. WINDS WILL RELAX SLIGHTLY AROUND DAYBREAK TOMORROW...BUT REMAIN STRONG OUT OF THE WEST WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 14 TO 18 KTS AND GUSTS TO 25 KTS. WINDS WILL NOT SUBSIDE UNTIL TOMORROW EVENING. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 4 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR INZ021-028>031- 035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...JK NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...JK LONG TERM....MRD AVIATION...TDUD/CP VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IND FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 451 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-102100- 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- 451 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. WINDS...INDEPENDENT OF CONVECTION...WILL GUST AT AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH THROUGH THE NIGHT. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND REDUCED VISIBILITY...ISOLATED TORNADOES. TIMING: THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL ARRIVE WITH A PREFRONTAL SQUALL LINE ARRIVING IN WESTERN INDIANA AFTER 9 PM AND RACING EAST FROM THERE. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE PRIOR TO THAT. ALL SEVERE STORMS SHOULD BE OUT OF THE AREA BY 4 AM. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARM SECTOR OVER CENTRAL INDIANA BUT MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WITH SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL ARRIVE WITH A SQUALL LINE JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...FLASH FLOODING...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK...FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RIVER FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AREA RIVERS BY THIS WEEKEND...AND LINGER INTO NEXT WEEK. PATCHY FROST IS POSSIBLE EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. DISCUSSION: HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA DURING THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM MAY AFFECT THE AREA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) CP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1118 PM EDT THU APR 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1112 PM HAIL 4 SW TERRE HAUTE 39.43N 87.44W
04/09/2015 E0.25 INCH VIGO IN AMATEUR RADIO
1112 PM TSTM WND GST 4 SW TERRE HAUTE 39.43N 87.44W
04/09/2015 E50 MPH VIGO IN AMATEUR RADIO
&&
BHHThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:19 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Some trees were reported down with an estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph.
A live, 18-inch diameter tree branch was downed on State Road 234 due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts.
Several streets were flooded with 6 to 8 inches of water due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
A few trees were downed on to power lines in and around Martinsville due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts and saturated ground.
Multiple power poles were downed at the intersection of County Road 400 West and State Route 144 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A grain silo was downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A chimney was blown over onto a roof and shingles were torn off in large sections due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A measured 63 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported from KOVO.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, April 2015
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: 569174, 569175, 569184, 569176, 569177, 569178, 569179, 569180.