Waves of showers and thunderstorms developed across central Indiana ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. The storms brought heavy rain, damaging winds, and one tornado to 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 IND wrote it up.
Waves of showers and thunderstorms developed across central Indiana ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. The storms brought heavy rain, damaging winds, and one tornado to the area. Some areas of central Indiana received over 4 inches of rain, which caused some flash flooding. Most of the heavy rain and flooding occurred across areas northeast of Indianapolis. The storms also brought damaging winds, which brought down some trees and power lines.
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 30, 11:50 AM EST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1250 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 217 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE ARRIVING FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ALONG WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY WILL RESULT IN CHANCES FOR RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...PARTICULARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW SHOWERS WILL LINGER ON SUNDAY MORNING AS THE LOW DEPARTS TO THE EAST. BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...COOLER NORTHERLY FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW WILL BRING A RETURN OF DRY WEATHER...BUT COOLER TEMPERATURES. HIGH PRESSURE IS THEN SET TO REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...BRINGING DRY AND COOLER WEATHER. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 1015 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 UPDATED THE HWO AND WEATHER STORY FOR THE SPC DAY1 SLIGHT RISK AND WPC DAY1 EXCESSIVE RAINFALL GRAPHIC. FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES OVER NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA...WHERE THE MOST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED. THUS...DO NOT EXPECT WIDESPREAD FLOODING...AND THUS DO NOT FEEL LIKE A FLOOD WATCH IS NEEDED AT THIS TIME. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... ISSUED AT 217 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 SURFACE ANALYSIS EARLY THIS MORNING SHOWS A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE STRETCHING FROM THE GREAT LAKES...ACROSS ILLINOIS TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW REMAINED IN PLACE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. DEW POINTS WERE HOLDING IN THE MOIST MIDDLE 60S. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED A SHORT WAVE ACROSS MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS PUSHING NORTHEAST. RADAR SHOWS SOME SCT CONVECTION ACROSS ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI...ALBEIT IT WAS ONLY GARDEN VARIETY SHOWERS AND STORMS. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE TODAY WILL BE POPS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHTS SHOW DEEP SATURATION ARRIVING BY LATE AFTERNOON. GFS AND NAM SHOW STRONG FORCING ARRIVING FROM THE SOUTHWEST ALOFT AFTER 18Z...TIMING WELL WITH DAYTIME HEATING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING AROUND 100 J/KG OF CAPE THIS AFTERNOON WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER OVER 1.75 INCHES. LOWER LEVEL Q VECTORS SHOW BEST CONVERGENCE ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN INDIANA...MAINLY LATE IN THE DAY AND EARLY THIS EVENING. GIVEN ALL OF THE AVAILABLE FORCING AND MOISTURE...WILL TREND POPS AT OR ABOVE MAVMOS IN MOST CASES. AS THE BEST FORCING FAILS TO ARRIVE UNTIL THE AFTERNOON...WILL TRY AND RAMP UP POPS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH THE MOST DRY HOURS ACROSS THE EASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA. AS FOR TEMPS...WILL ONCE AGAIN TREND TOWARD PERSISTENCE...ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST WHERE PRECIPITATION SHOULD HOLD OFF THE LONGEST. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 217 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 WET WEATHER LOOKS IN STORE FOR TONIGHT AS THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED UPPER SHORT WAVE WILL BE PUSHING ACROSS INDIANA OVERNIGHT. GFS AND NAM ALSO SUGGEST THE SURFACE LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA...A BIT FARTHER NORTH THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF RAIN BEING FOCUSED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA. STILL ALL AREA SHOULD GET SOME PRECIP THIS EVENING AS THIS SYSTEM PASSES. VERY GOOD LOWER LEVEL CONVERGENCE REMAINS ACROSS THE AREA AS THIS SYSTEM PASSES. TIME HEIGHTS ALSO SHOW BEST FORCING AT 00Z THROUGH ABOUT 06Z AS FORCING ALOFT PASSES. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DEEP SATURATION. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD 100 POPS FOR MOST AREAS. ALONG WITH TEMPS WARMER THAN MAVMOS GIVEN THE EXPECTED CLOUDS AND RAIN. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS SHOW FORCING ENDING QUICKLY ON SUNDAY MORNING AS THE THE GFS AND NAM DEPICT THE SHORT WAVE ALOFT EXITING QUICKLY. SOME TIME HEIGHTS CONTINUE TO SHOW SATURATED LOWER LEVELS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A LAYER OF LOWER LEVEL CLOUD LINGERING THROUGH THE DAY WITH DRY AIR ALOFT. MEANWHILE AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO EXIT INDIANA AND PUSH TOWARD NORTHEAST OHIO...KEEPING WEAK CYCLONIC FLOW IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION. GIVEN THE LOSS OF FORCING...HEAVIER RAINS SHOULD END ON SUNDAY RATHER QUICKLY...BUT GIVEN THE CYCLONIC FLOW AND LOWER LEVEL CLOUDS...A FEW VERY LIGHT SHOWERS OR DRIZZLE CANNOT BE RULED OUT. WILL TREND POPS AT OR BELOW MAVMOS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WEST WHERE FORCING IS LOST THE SOONEST. AS FOR TEMPS WILL TREND AT OR BELOW MAVMOS GIVEN THE EXPECTED CLOUD AND COOL NORTH WINDS. ON SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...THE GFS AND NAM SUGGESTS DRY...NW FLOW IN PLACE ALOFT. MEANWHILE AT THE SURFACE...A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING LOW WILL BE PLACE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES...PROVIDING A COOL NORTHEAST FLOW OF DRY CONTINENTAL FLOW TO INDIANA. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A DRY COLUMN IN PLACE ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. MEANWHILE...GOOD SUBSIDENCE IS SEEN IN THE MIDDLE LEVELS. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD AS DRY FORECAST DURING THIS PERIOD. AS FOR TEMPS...GIVEN THE COOL NORTHEAST FLOW...A BLEND OF THE MAVMOS AND METMOS SHOULD WORK NICELY. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ISSUED AT 229 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 ENSEMBLES IN GOOD AGREEMENT EARLY IN THE EXTENDED IN DEVELOPING A CUTOFF LOW OVER THE GULF COAST STATES...WITH RIDING BUILDING OVER THE TOP OF THE CUTOFF ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. BY LATE NEXT WEEK...THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES AS TO THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THIS CUTOFF. MOST OF THE ENSEMBLES DRIFT THIS CUTOFF SLOWLY EAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY...WHILE A FEW MEMBERS LIFT THIS FEATURE NORTH INTO THE OHIO VALLEY BY NEXT FRIDAY. THERE SHOULD BE LITTLE THREAT FOR PRECIPITATION FOR MOST OF THIS PERIOD AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVERHEAD. WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR NEXT FRIDAY TO COVER THE POSSIBILITY OF THE NORTHWARD TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW. A POTENTIAL SHORT WAVE MOVING OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES LATE NEXT WEEK MAY ALSO ENHANCE POPS BY NEXT FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR 301800Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 1249 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED AT THE SITES OFF AND ON THROUGH THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS. OUTSIDE OF STORMS MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS...WITH IFR OR LOWER AT TIMES IN THE STORMS. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AFTER THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HIGH CONFIDENCE ON SCATTERED COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE NEXT 6 HOURS...WITH LESSER CONFIDENCE THAT THERE WILL STILL BE THUNDER LATER TONIGHT AND NOT JUST RAIN. WITH THE SURFACE LOW MOVING OVER THE SITES OVERNIGHT ALSO EXPECT TO SEE CEILINGS DROP AND COULD HAVE SOME VISIBILITY ISSUES AS WELL. LOW CEILINGS LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST MIDDAY SUNDAY. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PUMA NEAR TERM...PUMA/MK SHORT TERM...PUMA LONG TERM....JAS AVIATION...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...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1025 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-311000- 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- 1025 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN ALSO NOT BE RULED OUT. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE...MAINLY TONIGHT AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY STORM. HAZARDS: HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. TIMING: SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING TODAY AND TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL THEN MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA OVERNIGHT AS A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE RIDES UP ALONG IT. WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR COMBINED WITH THE FRONT IN THE AREA WILL TRIGGER NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. OUTLOOK: SHOWERS WILL END ON SUNDAY. SCATTERED STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHEAST OVER CENTRAL INDIANA ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING....BRINGING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN SUNDAY NIGHT WITH DRY WEATHER THROUGH MIDWEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1111 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1059 AM RAIN WINDFALL 40.36N 85.96W
05/30/2015 TIPTON IN PUBLIC
0.41 INCHES FROM HEAVY DOWNPOUR
&&
CPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1243 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015
INZ037-039-046-047-054-301730-
BOONE-HAMILTON-HENDRICKS-MARION-MORGAN-
1243 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN BOONE...SOUTHWESTERN
HAMILTON...EASTERN HENDRICKS...WESTERN MARION AND MORGAN COUNTIES
UNTIL 130 PM EDT...
AT 1240 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MARTINSVILLE...OR 18 MILES NORTH OF
BLOOMINGTON...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
BETHANY AND CENTERTON AROUND 1250 PM EDT...
BROOKLYN...LAKE HART...WAVERLY AND MONROVIA AROUND 1255 PM EDT...
MOORESVILLE AROUND 100 PM EDT...
CAMBY AND PLAINFIELD AROUND 105 PM EDT...
INDIANAPOLIS INT'L AIRPORT AROUND 110 PM EDT...
AVON AROUND 115 PM EDT...
SPEEDWAY...CLERMONT AND MONUMENT CIRCLE AROUND 120 PM EDT...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
&&
LAT...LON 3994 8602 3963 8619 3963 8625 3951 8625
3934 8634 3934 8637 3939 8657 4002 8632
TIME...MOT...LOC 1643Z 199DEG 36KT 3945 8642
KOCHThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 2 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:20 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The observing station at the Indianapolis International Airport measured a 58 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
ASOS at the Indianapolis International Airport reported another thunderstorm wind gust measured at 58 mph.
A large tree was snapped 10 feet above the base along Highway 231 at Butcher Avenue due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Several other trees were down throughout the city. Some vehicles were damaged from falling tree. Power was out to the entire city.
A barn and two houses sustained roof damage near the intersection of County Roads 600 West and 100 South due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Also, three trees were downed...including one on a car.
Several inches of water was flowing over a roadway near Meridian Street.
The westbound lane of Highway 38 was underwater about half a mile west of Highway 13. Several inches of flowing water is also going over some driveways. Heavy thunderstorm rainfall was the cause of the flooding.
The northbound lane of State Route 13, one mile north of Interstate 69, was impassable due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
The Anderson Fire Department worked two water rescues in the area of 8th Street and Raible Avenue due to flash flooding caused by heavy thunderstorm rainfall.
A tree limb fell on a power line on Busseron Street due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A three inch diameter tree limb was snapped due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts. This was reported by BAM Chase.
A 30-inch diameter tree was blown over onto part of a fence near the intersection of Stop 11 and Shelbyville Roads due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A few trees were knocked down in a subdivision near the intersection of Franklin and Southport Roads due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A trampoline was blown over causing some minor damage to a house and a few vehicles.
An EF-1 tornado, with winds estimated at 90 mph, briefly touched down near the intersection of Southeastern and Irvington Avenues. Significant garage damage occurred to two homes and one automobile was stacked on top of another. Numerous trees were downed as well. A power pole was downed as well as a gazebo that was picked up and tossed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2015Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 580283, 580290, 580368, 580369, 580379, 581685, 581689, 581708, 581759, 580384, 580634, 580909, 580921, 581681.