During the overnight hours of March 19th, a strong low pressure system brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to central Indiana. The heaviest rain fell across south central Indiana with 2 to 3 inches of rain.
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.
During the overnight hours of March 19th, a strong low pressure system brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to central Indiana. The heaviest rain fell across south central Indiana with 2 to 3 inches of rain. Decatur county was the heaviest hit area with numerous state and local roads closed.
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 Mar 20, 1:51 AM EST, 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 251 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 .UPDATE... The LONG TERM Section has been updated below. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 348 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 A low pressure system will bring showers and thunderstorms through tonight, with some lingering showers Friday. Severe storms with heavy rain are possible tonight. Additional systems will bring more precipitation chances Sunday into next week. Much colder air will move in for the weekend, then near normal to above normal readings will return. && .NEAR TERM...(Rest of This Afternoon and Tonight) Issued at 348 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 This afternoon, showers continued across most of the forecast area as a warm front lifts north. The warm front itself was across the far southwest parts of the area, where dewpoints were in the lower 60s. The warm front will progress north of the area into the evening. Showers will continue to move northeast through the afternoon, but more showers and thunderstorms were across Missouri and southwest Illinois moving quickly northeast. Will continue high PoPs as needed before 00Z, with focus moving to mainly southern areas closer to 00Z. Expecting multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms this evening into the early to mid overnight hours with different upper impulses moving through. Latest short term models focus most of the rain across the southeastern half of the forecast area, so went highest PoPs there (likely or higher category). These multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms moving across nearly saturated ground will likely cause some flooding issues, and perhaps some flash flooding. Based on trends and on ensembles went ahead and expanded the Flash Flood Watch north a tier of counties. With rain ongoing and the heavier rain moving in as early as 22Z southwest, also moved up the start time of the watch to 22Z. Severe storms still look like a possibility with strong shear and some instability. Not a lot of clearing upstream so models may be overdoing expected instability some. Nevertheless a severe threat still exists, especially across the south half of the area. All severe modes remain possible given the strong shear. PoPs will diminish later in the overnight as forcing weakens. NBM again looks too cold with low temperatures so went closer to a blend of raw model output as the cold front remains northwest of the area. && .SHORT TERM...(Friday through Saturday Night) Issued at 348 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 Models are close enough that the National Blend of Models initialization was accepted for most items. The cold front will move through during the day Friday, with temperatures crashing behind it. There could be enough forcing for a few showers, so went with some low PoPs as the front moves through. High pressure will then build in and provide dry but much colder conditions for Friday night into Saturday night. Highs will struggle to hit 40 for some areas on Saturday. Winds will be gusty Friday as the colder air moves in. && .LONG TERM /Monday through Thursday/... Issued at 251 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 Models in good agreement that ridging will result in dry weather to start off the long term. However, a Plains system will bring more rain showers to the area Tuesday and Tuesday night. Decent return flow in advance of this system lends good confidence in decent coverage. After that, confidence not is great in PoPs. That said, a weak low pressure system could bring more rain showers to the area, mainly Thursday per the blend. Good confidence that near normal temperatures in the 50s on Monday will moderate to above normal by Wednesday with 60s looking good per the blend. && .AVIATION /Discussion for the 20/06Z TAF Issuance/... Issued at 1140 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 Showers and thunderstorms will continue to impact KIND and KBMG through Friday 11Z. However, confidence is high enough at this point to remove mention of thunder from KLAF and KHUF. Conditions have been trending toward mainly VFR with some fluctuations to MVFR at times. KBMG is currently at MVFR levels with the line of showers and thunderstorms moving through. Meanwhile, low level wind shear will also be a threat early in the TAF period due to a low level jet. As cooler air moves in this morning, MVFR will become the predominant flight category around daybreak at KIND and KLAF, but KHUF and KBMG will be a little later with MVFR moreso in the afternoon on Friday. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch until 8 AM EDT Friday for INZ060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...50 NEAR TERM...50 SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM....MK AVIATION...TDUD
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 432 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-202045- 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- 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, and Rushville 432 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Outlook: Thunderstorms are possible through much of the night. Severe storms are possible. Hazards: Damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and locally heavy rain are all threats. Timing: Severe potential will be greatest between 600 PM and 300 AM. Discussion: A low pressure system will bring showers and thunderstorms at times through tonight. Some severe storms are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Outlook: No hazardous weather is expected at this time. Discussion: A cold front will move through on Friday and could bring a few showers along with gusty winds around 30 mph. Much colder air will move in for the weekend with wind chills back into the teens Saturday morning. Chances for precipitation return Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening through tonight. .STORM MOTION STATEMENT... The expected storm motion is from the west-southwest at 50-55 MPH. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind INZ060>065-067>072-202045- Sullivan-Greene-Monroe-Brown-Bartholomew-Decatur-Knox-Daviess-Martin- Lawrence-Jackson-Jennings- Including the cities of Sullivan, Linton, Bloomfield, Bloomington, Nashville, Columbus, Greensburg, Vincennes, Washington, Loogootee, Shoals, Bedford, Mitchell, Seymour, Brownstown, and North Vernon 432 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Outlook: Thunderstorms are possible through much of the night. Severe storms are possible. Hazards: Damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and locally heavy rain and flash flooding are all threats. Timing: Severe potential will be greatest between 600 PM and 400 AM. Discussion: A low pressure system will bring showers and thunderstorms at times through tonight. Some severe storms are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Outlook: No hazardous weather is expected at this time. Discussion: A cold front will move through on Friday and could bring a few showers along with gusty winds around 30 mph. Much colder air will move in for the weekend with wind chills back down to around 20 Saturday morning. Chances for precipitation return Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening through tonight. .STORM MOTION STATEMENT... The expected storm motion is from the west-southwest at 50-55 MPH. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
113 AM EDT FRI MAR 20 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0105 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SSW PARAGON 39.35N 86.59W
03/20/2020 M2.17 INCH MORGAN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
2.17 INCHES 24 HOUR RAINFALL MEASURED BY
TRAINED STORM SPOTTER.
&&
MKSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 131 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 INZ052-053-060-061-200600- Owen IN-Clay IN-Greene IN-Sullivan IN- 131 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL SULLIVAN... SOUTHWESTERN CLAY...SOUTHWESTERN OWEN AND NORTHWESTERN GREENE COUNTIES UNTIL 200 AM EDT... At 131 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Sullivan, or 24 miles east of Robinson, moving northeast at 50 mph. This storm has shown signs of weak rotation at times. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Jasonville, Dugger, Coal City, Coalmont, Vicksburg and Freedom. LAT...LON 3904 8734 3911 8738 3933 8700 3918 8684 TIME...MOT...LOC 0531Z 239DEG 42KT 3911 8731 AW
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Indianapolis IN
154 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020
INZ053-054-062-200645-
Owen IN-Morgan IN-Monroe IN-
154 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MONROE...
SOUTHWESTERN MORGAN AND SOUTHERN OWEN COUNTIES UNTIL 245 AM EDT...
At 153 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Spencer, or 19 miles west of Bloomington, moving northeast at 50
mph. This storm has shown persistent weak rotation.
Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Spencer, Gosport, Paragon, Stinesville, McCormicks Creek State Park
and Freedom.
LAT...LON 3945 8654 3930 8648 3917 8690 3917 8692
3927 8698
TIME...MOT...LOC 0553Z 244DEG 43KT 3924 8687
AWSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 208 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 INZ047-053>055-062-200700- Johnson IN-Owen IN-Morgan IN-Monroe IN-Marion IN- 208 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MONROE...MORGAN... JOHNSON...NORTHEASTERN OWEN AND SOUTHEASTERN MARION COUNTIES UNTIL 300 AM EDT... At 207 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Martinsville, or 15 miles north of Bloomington, moving northeast at 60 mph. Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Indianapolis, Greenwood, Franklin, Martinsville, Mooresville, Southport, New Whiteland, Whiteland, Bargersville, Brooklyn, Trafalgar, Morgantown, Gosport, Paragon, Stinesville, Bethany, Mahalasville, Waverly and Centerton. LAT...LON 3945 8672 3972 8595 3945 8595 3928 8666 TIME...MOT...LOC 0607Z 243DEG 51KT 3939 8653 AW
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:54 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Water was flowing along I-74 near mile marker 123. Portions of the interstate were closed for a period of time.
Water was reported to be flowing over the road near the intersection of County Road 500S and State Road 9. Additional reports of flooded roads were received around the county.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm wind gusts and was blocking State Road 3. Heavy rains in the hours preceding the wind allowed the tree to be uprooted rather easily.
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, March 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: 873988, 873989, 873990.