A fairly prolonged period of thunderstorms began during the early afternoon hours on July 21st and continued into the evening hours. The most significant damage occurred in eastern Tippecanoe county where large metal doors were blown off of a manufacturing plant.
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.
A fairly prolonged period of thunderstorms began during the early afternoon hours on July 21st and continued into the evening hours. The most significant damage occurred in eastern Tippecanoe county where large metal doors were blown off of a manufacturing plant. Thunderstorms continued into the evening causing sporadic wind damage before becoming sub-severe by midnight.
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 21, 12:00 PM EST, 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 100 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 .UPDATE... The AVIATION Section has been updated below. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 322 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 A couple of fronts plus warm and humid air will bring frequent chances for showers and thunderstorms into early next week. Widespread temperatures in the 90s will return by early next week. && .NEAR TERM (Rest of Today)... Issued at 1007 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 For the update...decreased PoPs during the morning especially in the east and southeastern counties based on high resolution model output as well as current satellite and observational trends. Left higher chance PoPs in the western and northern counties for the afternoon, but decreased a little in the south again due to latest model output and current low cloud deck across the south. Some diurnal driven pop up storms remain possible this afternoon into the evening, and current line in Illinois could move across the northern half of the forecast area later this afternoon, but some models continue to weaken it. Current thinking is better forcing will arrive during the tonight period with the help of a low level jet. && .SHORT TERM (Tonight through Thursday night)... Issued at 322 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 Models are close enough that the National Blend of Models initialization was accepted for most items. An stronger upper trough will move into central Indiana tonight. A surface front will accompany the wave. The forcing from these plus abundant moisture should lead to showers and thunderstorms moving through. Went likely PoPs across the northern half of the area where forcing will be strongest, with chance PoPs elsewhere. Went with a relative lull in PoPs Wednesday morning with weaker instability. However, with the front lingering in the area Wednesday afternoon, went likely PoPs east (ahead of the front) with chance PoPs west. Kept some chance PoPs going Wednesday night with the front still in the area. Uncertainty is higher again for PoPs Thursday as there is some question on where the front will end up. The NAM has the front farther south and keeps the area dry, while other models have rain. The NBM has likely PoPs across the southern half of the area, but am not sure of this. However, given the uncertainty, don't have enough confidence to change the initialization. Low PoPs continue Thursday night again with the front around. Generally stayed close to the NBM for temperatures. && .LONG TERM /Friday night through Tuesday/... Issued at 1239 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 The long term will be dominated by an upper ridge over the central U.S. The ridge builds toward central Indiana Friday night and Saturday, which should provide warm temperatures and fairly dry conditions under subsidence. The ridge shows some signs of buckling a bit as its axis trends back toward the plains through the rest of the weekend, though, and into next week. This should equate to warmer than normal temperatures throughout the long term along with increasing dewpoints, with some evening thunderstorm chances due to instability. There may also be some potential for overnight ridge riding storms Sunday night and perhaps Monday night. Overall though mainly a hot forecast with little in the way of widespread precipitation. && .AVIATION /Discussion for the 211800Z TAFS/... Issued at 1255 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 Convective cluster currently moving through eastern Illinois is expected to affect the KLAF terminal in the 211800Z-212000Z time frame. Brief IFR visibility restrictions and gusty shifting winds possible with this cluster. Questionable as to the extent the remaining terminals will be affected by this cluster, as short term models suggest the mid level feature associated with this cluster will generally move off into northern Indiana with time. Appears the convective threat will increase again towards/after 220000Z at the terminals, as a mid level short wave currently in northern Missouri, tracks into northern Illinois later this evening. Activity may continue well into the nighttime hours, given a decent low level jet associated with this feature. CB bases generally 025-040. Otherwise, remnant ceilings 008AGL-015 in the vicinity of KHUF/KBMG is in the process of mixing out. Surface winds 170-200 degrees at 8-11 kts this afternoon will veer a bit towards 190-220 at 4-7 kts after dark. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...50 NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM....CP AVIATION...JAS
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 1018 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-221430- 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 Delphi, Flora, Williamsport, West Lebanon, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Frankfort, Kokomo, Attica, Covington, Veedersburg, Crawfordsville, Lebanon, Zionsville, Tipton, Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Anderson, Muncie, Winchester, Clinton, Newport, Rockville, Greencastle, Plainfield, Brownsburg, Danville, Indianapolis, Greenfield, Cumberland, New Castle, Terre Haute, Brazil, Clay City, Spencer, Martinsville, Mooresville, Greenwood, Franklin, Shelbyville, Rushville, Sullivan, Linton, Bloomfield, Bloomington, Nashville, Columbus, Greensburg, Vincennes, Washington, Loogootee, Shoals, Bedford, Mitchell, Seymour, Brownstown, and North Vernon 1018 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Outlook: There are chances for thunderstorms today and tonight. Some strong to severe storms are possible. Hazards: Damaging winds, heavy rain and localized flooding, lightning. Timing: Thunderstorms are possible at any time but should be most numerous during the late afternoon and evening hours, with some more potential for heavy rain overnight. Some strong to severe storms are possible mainly late this afternoon and during the evening, with the best potential after 7 pm. Discussion: A front in the area along with upper disturbances will bring some showers and thunderstorms to the area. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Outlook: Thunderstorms are possible for much of the period. Isolated severe storms are possible on Wednesday. Hot conditions with heat index values at or over 100 may return this weekend. Discussion: A front will meander across the area into the weekend, interacting with warm and humid air to bring chances for showers and thunderstorms. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be possible this evening. .STORM MOTION STATEMENT... The expected storm motion today is from the west southwest at 30 MPH. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:25 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree downed near the intersection of County Road 700W and Galloway Chapel Road.
Trees downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts near Pine Street and also on Brady Street.
Tree downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts in the middle of Greenhill.
Multiple tree limbs of unknown size downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Large metal doors were blown off of the Toyota Tsusho America Inc plant at the 5400 block of Haggerty Lane. A plant employee told local broadcast media that if not for the tornado warning and their resulting shelter in place employees would have been struck.
Multiple trees downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts with power outages noted.
Numerous tree limbs and branches downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts across Kokomo.
Tree limbs down to thunderstorm wind gusts along Black Cemetery Road between County Road 800N and State Road 67.
Several trees up to 4 inches in diameter downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Several trees of unknown size were downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts.
Tree was downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts near US 340.
Multiple trees were downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts along US 40 east of Brazil.
Power lines and poles were downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts across town. A 50 mph wind gust was measured around the same time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2020
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: 895709, 895710, 895712, 895713, 895714, 895715, 895716, 895717, 895718, 895719, 895720, 895721, 895722.