High precipitable water values, combine with a slow moving area of rain and embedded thunderstorms over the Fort Wayne Metro area, caused flooding and flash flooding across mainly the northern portions of Fort Wayne. Three to just under five inches of rain fell within a few hour period, overwhelming drains.
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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.
High precipitable water values, combine with a slow moving area of rain and embedded thunderstorms over the Fort Wayne Metro area, caused flooding and flash flooding across mainly the northern portions of Fort Wayne. Three to just under five inches of rain fell within a few hour period, overwhelming drains. Within a few hours of the rain ended, flood waters rapidly receded. Lightning sparked several fires as well.
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 Aug 29, 2:38 AM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Correction National Weather Service Northern Indiana 338 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 328 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 An upper level low will bring chances for scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms today. Highs will reach the mid to upper 70s. Dry conditions are expected tonight into Wednesday with lows in the upper 50s tonight and highs in the upper 70s tomorrow. Areas of fog will be possible later tonight. A cold front then brings a low chance for showers on Thursday, followed by cooler and drier conditions Friday. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight) Issued at 328 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 Leftover mid level circulation/small scale vort max will continue to lift slowly northeast into ne IN/nw OH this morning with scattered showers and perhaps a few rumbles of thunder possible. Fog may become a concern early this morning across far ne IN/sc Lower MI/far nw OH, though gradient and cloud cover may be enough to preclude a more impactful fog threat. The larger scale upper low will open east over the local area by this afternoon. There should be enough surface heating under this cool pocket aloft to generate spotty showers/iso thunder near any weak boundaries, best chances southeast of US 24 near lingering low level convergent axis. The environment may become conducive for funnel clouds and small hail with stronger cells if more appreciable boundary layer heating is realized. Temperatures will remain on the cool side for this time of year otherwise with highs generally into the mid 70s. The upper wave and weak sfc trough will exit to the east tonight leaving dry conditions. Light winds and little in the way of low level drying may promote some fog development overnight as skies clear. && .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 328 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 Weak warm advection in advance of a cold front and ample sunshine should lead to a dry and warmer Wednesday. This cold front drops through from north to south on Thursday trailing a seasonably strong shortwave tracking se into the Eastern Great Lakes/Northeast. At this point this front appears moisture starved with little in the way of mid-upper level support. Thus, expect any shower activity to be light and scattered at best (20-30% PoPs) along it. Canadian high pressure will build into the Great Lakes by Thursday night and Friday resulting in dry and cooler conditions. Some weak troughing into the Central US looking more likely to lift the remnants of Harvey into the Ohio Valley by later Friday night/Saturday. This could bring clouds and a period of rain to areas mainly southeast of US 24, though incoming mid-upper jet energy likely shunts deeper moisture off to the east-southeast resulting in only low 20-30% type PoPs at this fcst range. Mainly dry west-northwest flow regime then takes shape Sunday into Monday with temperatures near to slightly below normal. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday Night) Issued at 127 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 Upper low will move across the region this period. Scattered showers and a few isolated tsra possible with weak forcing and moist lower levels. Area of showers and thunderstorms over central Indiana lifting northeast but weakening. May reach KFWA around 08z but likely just shra with less instability. Area of light showers closer to upper low over NW Indiana may briefly move through KSBN. Hires guidance continues to show expanding area of fog and stratus from northeast to southwest overnight. This complicated by area of shra and clouds which will inhibit development. Any breaks in clouds or dissipation of shra could easily allow fog to form. Have kept with MVFR overnight but will monitor for possible IFR into terminals, especially KFWA. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...Steinwedel SHORT TERM...Steinwedel LONG TERM...Steinwedel AVIATION...Lashley Visit us at www.weather.gov/iwx Follow us on Facebook...Twitter...and YouTube at: www.facebook.com/NWSNorthernIndiana www.twitter.com/nwsiwx www.youtube.com/NWSNorthernIndiana
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Northern Indiana 421 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-300830- 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- 421 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 /321 AM CDT Tue Aug 29 2017/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southwest Michigan...northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Areas of fog may create hazardous travel conditions early this morning, mainly north of US 30. Fog may redevelop later tonight. There is a slight chance for thunderstorms today. Severe thunderstorms are not expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio for further details or updates...or check our web site at weather.gov/iwx LMZ043-046-300830- New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI- 421 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of The Nearshore Waters of Southeastern Lake Michigan. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight There is a slight chance for a thunderstorm this evening. Strong to severe storms are not expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio for further details or updates...or check our web site at weather.gov/iwx
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Northern Indiana 416 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 INZ005>009-MIZ078>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-291130- Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Cass MI-St. Joseph MI- Branch-Hillsdale-Williams-Fulton OH-Defiance-Henry- Including the cities of Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, Lagrange, Topeka, Shipshewana, Angola, Fremont, Kendallville, Ligonier, Albion, Auburn, Garrett, Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Marcellus, Sturgis, Three Rivers, White Pigeon, Mendon, Coldwater, Bronson, Hillsdale, Jonesville, Litchfield, Bryan, Montpelier, Edgerton, Wauseon, Archbold, Swanton, Delta, Defiance, Sherwood, Hicksville, Napoleon, Deshler, and Liberty Center 416 AM EDT Tue Aug 29 2017 ...Areas of fog early this morning... Areas of fog, with visibilities reduced to less than a quarter mile in spots, can be expected early this morning. Visibilities will improve significantly after 8 am. Anyone traveling across the area should be prepared for the possibility of encountering patches of dense fog. Use extra caution.
The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:27 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported a tree and a large tree limb were blown down.
Lightning was likely responsible for 4 different fires within a 2 hour period in and around Fort Wayne. A residence in the Chestnut Hills neighborhood and Bridgewater addition suffered minor fire damage. A barn caught fire in the 15000 block of Bass Road. The barn as well as 7000 bales of hay were damaged. A firefighter was taken to the hospital with a leg injury. Finally a fire at Canterbury Green Apartments caused damage to 22 units. No injuries were reported at this location. Time range listed for this event is the span of time the storms were in the area and reported were received.
Widespread flooding noted across mainly western and northern portions of the Fort Wayne metro area. Standing and flowing water was reported as high as the top of bumpers of cars in some locations. Several vehicles were stranded with some rescues needed. The Glenbrook mall was closed due to flood waters entering portions of the structure as well as power outages. Ivy Tech North Campus was closed due to flood waters entering the Student Life Center and basement of Harshman Hall. The water was shallow, but covered an extensive area, with total damages on the order of $300,000.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, August 2017
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: 716794, 717081, 716792.