Northwest flow in the upper atmosphere allowed multiple waves to move across the area. The atmosphere had a high moisture content and was unstable.
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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 IND wrote it up.
Northwest flow in the upper atmosphere allowed multiple waves to move across the area. The atmosphere had a high moisture content and was unstable. The waves interacted with the moisture and instability to produce the severe weather and heavy rain. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms moved over the same locations, creating the flooding problems. Several rounds of thunderstorms, from July 10th through the 13th, brought a tornado, damaging winds, large hail, and flooding to central Indiana. Road closures occurred due to the flash flooding in Owen County during this timeframe.
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 Jul 13, 9:43 AM EST, 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 1043 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 .UPDATE... The AVIATION section has been updated below. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 213 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 A cold front over Wisconsin and Iowa is expected to sag southward toward central Indiana Today. This along with the warm and humid air mass in place across Central Indiana will result in rounds of Thunderstorms today and Tonight. Some storms could be severe and some storms may produce heavy rain fall that could result in flash flooding. The front will exit central Indiana late tonight and Friday morning. This will result in perhaps a lingering shower or storm in the morning...however dry weather is expected to arrive by afternoon a high pressure settles across the area. The high will keep dry and cooler weather across the area through early sunday. Another upper level disturbance may bring a few showers or storms Sunday afternoon and early Monday before more dry weather arrives for the next work week. && .NEAR TERM /Today/... Issued at 1011 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 Lowered temps over the northern forecast area as fairly thick cloud cover from eroding convection is in place and will hold down heating much of this morning. Otherwise, made adjustments to pops along the 70 corridor and southward for morning convection. Thrust of forecast remains in good shape with storms and heavy rain potential, coverage of convection likely to increase this afternoon as an upstream disturbance approaches and afternoon heating in areas where sun can break through combines with the front and remnant outflow across our south. Previous discussion follows. Issued at 213 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 Surface analysis early this morning shows High pressure over the Carolinas and a broad trough of low pressure from Western New York across the Great Lakes to Iowa and Kansas. GOES16 shows thunderstorm complexes along and ahead of the associated cold front over Illinois...Northern Missouri and Western Kansas Water vapor shows a plume of tropical moisture being pulled along the trough. Furthermore a short wave was found across Ontario...digging southeast. A very warm and humid air mass was in place across Central Indiana. Dew points were in the lower 70s. Models suggest the passing short wave will push southeast today and tonight. This will push the front southward and also allow the stream of short waves embedded with the tropical flow aloft to pass across Central Indiana. Forecast soundings show steep lapse rates this afternoon with attainable convective temperatures in the upper 80s and ridiculous amounts of CAPE over 4000 J/KG. PWATs are also near 2 inches. THus with plenty of ingredients available for storms today and and this evening will trend toward categorical pops. Current Flash Flood watch looks very reasonable given any storm could produce very heavy rains...with a couple rounds of rain possible...over saturated grounds. && .SHORT TERM /Tonight through Saturday Night/... Issued at 213 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 Models suggest the quick moving stream of short wave will begin to sag southward tonight toward the Ohio River...along with the cold front reaching the Ohio River by Friday morning. Until then models continue to suggest westerly flow aloft with embedded waves and favorable moisture in place through the area. Forecast soundings show a very saturated column tonight with PWATS over 2 inches. Thus will again keep near categorical pops tonight for expected storms. Best chances will be across southern parts of central Indiana due to the nature of the progression of the front. Again...given the very moist air mass the flash flood watch looks good here. Will trend lows at or above the blend given the expected rain. Will need to keep some pops during the morning hours on Friday as the models continue to suggest the trough and associated wave still progressing through the southern half of the forecast area. Storms will still be possible as these ave interact with the favorable air mass in place. By afternoon...NW flow appears to be in place for several hours and forecast soundings show strong drying within the column mid levels also show excellent subsidence as strong ridging builds aloft over the western United Sates. Meanwhile...strong high pressure begins to build across the Central Mississippi valley. Thus will trend toward a dry afternoon and evening on Friday...under partly cloudy skies and close to the forecast builder blend on highs and lows. On Saturday and Saturday night...more dry weather with pleasant temperatures are expected. GFS and NAM show the continued strong ridging building across the western United states...leading to lee side NW flow and subsidence across the upper midwest spilling into the Ohio Valley. The resultant surface high pressure system looks build and stay across Indiana and Illinois on Saturday and Saturday Night. Thus a mostly sunny day and mostly clear night will be expected. NW flow around this high will be expected...keeping temps below seasonal normals. && .LONG TERM /Sunday through Wednesday/... Issued at 240 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 Ensembles in good agreement during this period. Main item of interest will be a short wave trough that is progged to drop southeast through the Great Lakes Sunday and Sunday night. Will keep chance PoPs going in those periods to cover this feature. Otherwise, ensembles suggest a strong upper ridge will build into the area by the middle of next week, effectively shutting down precipitation potential for the rest of the extended. Will go dry after Sunday. && .AVIATION /Discussion for the 131500Z TAF Update/... Issued at 1043 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 Mainly focused on adjustments for the next few hours with convection potentially impacting KBMG and KIND. Otherwise...no significant changes. 12Z discussion follows. Potential exists for scattered convection to develop in the vicinity of the terminals towards the mid morning hours and on through the early afternoon as westerly low level flow around 35 kts interacts with a vorticity lobe dropping southeast into the area. Appears the better threat for convection will occur after about 131900Z, as a vorticity center associated with activity currently over southern Iowa and northern Missouri, moves into the area. Brief IFR visibility restrictions and gusty shifting winds in and near heavier cells. CB bases near 050 this morning, and around 020 with the afternoon activity. Otherwise, some diurnal clouds based around 020 expected to develop towards the midday hours. Surface winds 210-240 degrees at 8-11 kts this morning will gradually veer to 250-270 degrees by late afternoon. Occasional surface gusts around 18 kts possible later this morning into the early afternoon. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through Friday morning for INZ021-028>031- 035>049-051>057-062>065-072. && SYNOPSIS...Puma NEAR TERM...Puma/NIELD SHORT TERM...Puma LONG TERM...JAS AVIATION...JAS/Ryan
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 327 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-140730- 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- Including the cities of Lafayette, Frankfort, Kokomo, Crawfordsville, Anderson, Muncie, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Shelbyville, Bloomington, Columbus, Vincennes, Bedford, and Seymour 327 AM EDT Thu Jul 13 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Outlook: There is a SLIGHT RISK for severe thunderstorms. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect for much of Central Indiana. Hazards: Ongoing Flooding. Damaging Winds, Heavy rain resulting in Flash Flooding, Lightning, and large hail. Timing: Flooding is ongoing. Thunderstorms after 900 AM. Discussion: A cold front, along with several upper level weather disturbances will generate thunderstorms today and tonight. Some storms could be severe producing damaging wind gusts. Some storms may produce heavy rain which could result in further flooding. Lightning is a threat from any storm. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Outlook: Isolated Thunderstorms are possible on Friday morning...mainly across southern parts of Central Indiana. The main threats from these storms will be gusty winds...heavy rain and lightning. Flooding may be ongoing due to earlier heavy rains. More storms are possible Sunday and Sunday night. It is too soon to determine if these storms will be severe. Lightning is a threat with any thunderstorm. Discussion: A cold front will exit Central Indiana on Friday. A few Thunderstorms are possible on Friday Morning as the front departs. Heavy rain will be possible due to a very warm and humid air mass in place across Central Indiana. Another front will bring additional chances for showers and thunderstorms on Sunday and Sunday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed on Today and Tonight. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind PUMA
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:47 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several road closures occurred due to flash flooding from heavy thunderstorm rainfall, namely the intersection of County Line Road and Golf View Drive.
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, July 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: 717107.