On the September 23rd release of the drought monitor D2 (Severe drought) conditions expanded into Howard, Tipton, Madison, Delaware, and Randolph counties from northeastern Indiana as a result of a stretch of dry weather that began in early August. These conditions continued into October.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
On the September 23rd release of the drought monitor D2 (Severe drought) conditions expanded into Howard, Tipton, Madison, Delaware, and Randolph counties from northeastern Indiana as a result of a stretch of dry weather that began in early August. These conditions continued into October.
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 Sep 23, 6:00 AM EST, 1 hour earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 700 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Dense fog this morning - Milder with daily chances for showers and a few thunderstorms through Thursday - Dry yet warm Friday into next week && .SHORT TERM (Today and tonight)... Issued at 329 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 Early This Morning... Fog continues to expand across central Indiana with many sites are already near or at one quarter of a mile. This will continue through the remainder of the predawn hours, but there may be some variability at times. Will let the Dense Fog Advisory continue as is. Rain showers have been staying just south of the forecast area, so will keep a dry forecast. Today... The fog will gradually mix out this morning. Current advisory is through 9 AM, but this may have to be extended per latest hourly guidance. Will keep a close eye and adjust if necessary. Clouds may linger for a while as the fog mixes out, the clouds from an approaching system will be on the increase. Thus, there may not be a lot of sunshine today. Thunderstorms to the northwest of the area overnight should dissipate before reaching the area this morning. However, outflow from these may reach portions of the northwest forecast area this afternoon. Some weak forcing from an upper wave may interact with this to produce some showers or storms. Will have some PoPs north to account for this. High temperatures will depend on how fast morning clouds break up and how fast the arrival of clouds this afternoon occurs. Readings could reach the lower 80s if enough sun gets through. Tonight... Better chances for rain arrive tonight as some stronger upper energy moves in from the west. Moisture will be plentiful with 850mb winds still bringing in moisture from the southwest. The forcing and moisture should be enough to go with likely or higher PoPs most areas overnight. The orientation of the 850mb winds should keep the highest rainfall amounts south of central Indiana, but far southern areas have the potential for some locally heavy rain. HREF Probability Matched Means show near 2 inches possible there. Lows will be in the 60s thanks to rain and clouds. && .LONG TERM (Wednesday through Monday)... Issued at 329 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 Wednesday through Thursday Night... Broad and multi-faceted upper trough will begin its final act for Indiana as the long term starts. This elongated, positively-tilted and very slowly progressing wave will likely induce weak surface low pressure near the local region Wednesday into Wednesday night. Corresponding increasing chances and amounts of rainfall should be focused near and south of the I-70 corridor, with the quasi-stationary short wave...possibly allowing additional widespread 1.00 to 1.50 inches of rain in these areas, and mainly moderate rainfall amounts farther north/northwest. At least isolated thunder could include a few strong storms over mainly southern portions of Indiana, through generally late day hours...after the surface circulation has had a chance to advect unseasonably high dewpoints into southern counties, and better wind shear arrives with the upper wave. Lingering rain chances into Thursday reflect what should be drizzle and a few lighter showers as the trough axis finally crosses the Hoosier state. Near to slightly below normal afternoon highs in the low to mid-70s will be the rule thanks to considerable cloudiness...and light easterly breezes that will back to northwesterly as the surface trough departs. At least moderate humidity Wednesday...will begin to transition to more seasonable levels Wednesday night amid the backed flow. Overnight lows will consequently trend from around 60F Wednesday night to about 5 degrees lower by dawn Friday. Friday through Monday... Like a flipped switch...central Indiana will quietly return to what will likely be an extended dry period starting Friday. To the south of an increasingly active northern jet across southern Canada...will be another subtropical upper ridge, building northward into the Midwest for the weekend. Although, at least through the long term period, often light northwest or northeasterly breezes will mitigate potential heat under the 570 dm 1000-500 thickness. Friday will be the mildest (ample-sun) day, as weak high pressure under a zonal ridge brings mid-70s for most of the CWA. Light westerly breezes Saturday, courtesy of a storm system crossing southern Canada, should return highs to around 80F. Reestablishment of surface high pressure early next week over the southern Great Lakes should help maintain near normal overnights and more warm afternoons around 80F amid lighter northeasterly flow under mostly sunny skies. The normal max/min at Indianapolis through the long term period is 74/53. && .AVIATION (12Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 659 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 Impacts: - Locally dense fog through 13Z...reduced visibility lingering this morning - After improvement later today...conditions deteriorate again late tonight with arrival of next round of -SHRA/BR Discussion: LIFR visibility and LIFR ceilings amid dense fog at all TAF terminals may improve slightly by 12Z. FG/FG+ may be slow to lift/dissipate this morning...with improvement to MVFR expected during 14Z-16Z. FG will likely lift to MVFR stratus...before likely scattering to VFR by 18Z. Near-calm winds early today...will eventually come from 180 to 220 degrees, sustained up to 4-6KT. Light and at times variable winds tonight amid increasing chances for -SH RA mainly after 03Z. Conditions will deteriorate again around the 05Z-09Z timeframe in periods of -SHRA, with CIGs and/or VIS falling to MVFR, with IFR possible at times at mainly KLAF/KHUF. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM EDT this morning for INZ021- 028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM...AGM AVIATION...AGM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 447 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-240900- 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- 447 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Fog, some of it dense, will continue around 900 AM. A few thunderstorms are possible across portions of northern and western central Indiana this afternoon. Thunderstorms will be possible across all of central Indiana tonight. Severe storms are not expected today or tonight. Some storms may produce locally heavy rain. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Thunderstorms are possible at times through Wednesday night. An isolated strong storm with gusty winds is possible Wednesday afternoon and evening, mainly across southern portions of the area. Lightning and brief heavy rain are threats in any storm. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Rainfall amounts of only 1.25 to 2.25 inches over the month of September combined with 0.5 to 1.5 inches in August caused Severe Drought intensity to begin on September 23, 2025 in northern Delaware County. D2 conditions then continued into October.
Rainfall amounts of only 1 to 1.25 inches over the month of September combined with amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch in August caused Severe Drought intensity to begin on September 23, 2025 in most of Howard County. D2 conditions then expanded across all of Howard County on September 30th and continued into October.
Rainfall amounts of only 1 to 1.6 inches over the month of September combined with amounts of 1 to 2.5 inches in August caused Severe Drought intensity to begin on September 23, 2025 in northern Madison County. D2 conditions then continued into October.
Rainfall amounts of only 1.5 to 2.8 inches over the month of September combined with amounts of 0.5 to 1.5 inches in August caused Severe Drought intensity to begin on September 23, 2025 in north and northwestern Randolph County. D2 conditions then continued into October.
Rainfall amounts of only 0.4 to 1.4 inches over the month of September combined with amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches in August caused Severe Drought intensity to begin on September 23, 2025 across the northeastern half of Tipton County. D2 conditions then expanded into northwest Tipton County on September 30th and continued into October.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, September 2025
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: 1290244, 1290245, 1290246, 1290247, 1290248.