A line of severe thunderstorms exited Illinois and tracked through Indiana and southern Michigan. Wind gusts near 60 mph were reported, downing trees and powerlines.
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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.
A line of severe thunderstorms exited Illinois and tracked through Indiana and southern Michigan. Wind gusts near 60 mph were reported, downing trees and powerlines.
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 May 18, 9:54 AM CST, 51 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Northern Indiana 1154 AM EDT Mon May 18 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Severe storms are likely today between 12 PM to around 6 PM EDT. Damaging wind gusts to 60 mph and heavy rain are the main threats. Low but non-zero risk for large hail and an isolated tornado. - Severe storms are anticipated again Tuesday afternoon and evening, with all hazards possible. - Warm and humid through Tuesday with highs in the mid to upper 80s. - Cooler with seasonable temperatures and dry midweek. Highs only in the 60s Wednesday and Thursday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1014 AM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Main focus this forecast period is on the severe potential for today and on Tuesday. For today, seems the one limiting factor for today's storms will be the available shear, with values of Bulk Shear is around 20 to 30 kts, this should keep organization of storms minimal and current convective allowing guidance and thinking points to a more linear feature moving northeastward into the area over the next couple of hours from central IL. A plume of dew points in the mid 60s is pushing northeastward ahead of the convection currently pushing across central IL. Surface based CAPE values will run about 2000 to 2500 J/kg over the CWA. With environmental profiles drier near the surface and a moist plume maxing out around 850 mb this creates an inverted-V sounding which is indicative of gusty outflows/winds with thunderstorms this is further illustrated with Downdraft CAPE values around 1000 J/kg. Storm relative helicity values look to remain below the 100 m2/s2 threshold but there is the possibility for an isolated tornado or two. This first batch of storms will move through after Noon EDT and push through the area into this evening til around the 8 PM EDT timeframe. Moderate to heavy rainfall will accompany these storms with precipitable water value sitting around 1.70 inches. Of course, the storm motion speed will be important as if the line moves through quicker that will limit the rainfall amounts but either way looks like we should get a pretty good slug of rain with today's event as trailing stratiform will bring some moderate steady rainfall behind the initial line of thunderstorms as it pushes eastward through the area. Storm totals over the next two days looks to see some areas seeing close to an inch of new rainfall. A break in the action takes place tonight into the overnight period before the better looking set up arrives tomorrow in the form of a cold front associated with a low pressure circulation centered over northern WI. SB CAPE values will be around 1500-2500 J/kg, surface dew points will get into the upper 60s with a few locations seeing lower 70s, bulk shear values 30-40 kts, and mid level lapse rates around 6 deg/km and helicity values of 100-200 m2/s2. At this time it looks as if all threats will be on the table with the better helicity and shear values associated with the close proximity of the frontal boundary that will push eastward through the area. The exact timing is still a bit hazy but current indications have the frontal boundary approaching the western portions of our CWA around 1 PM EDT and exiting the area by early morning Wednesday. SPC currently has our entire area in a slight risk for severe thunderstorms for Tuesday. Heavy to moderate rainfall will once again be possible with the thunderstorms and as stated earlier that around 1 inch of new rainfall will be possible with these two batches of storms and locally heavier amounts if the residence times of thunderstorms linger. In the wake of the cold front a more zonal flow develops over the region on Wednesday and cooler and drier conditions will arrive. Highs on Wednesday will only get into the 60s which is about a 20 degree drop from the 80s today and Tuesday. Upper level ridging begins to push into the region by Thursday and will start to see a gradual increase in temperatures into the weekend. Highs Friday and Saturday will be in the 70s. Sunday into the beginning of next week highs will return int 80s. Chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms will also increase over the weekend and at this time the best chances will be Friday afternoon and evening with a trough pushing through the area but periods of showers/t-storms will be possible each day into next week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1149 AM EDT Mon May 18 2026 Primarily weather concern is an incoming squall line from the west. Observation stations have had episodes of G30KT, with at least one unofficial report of 58mph gust toward central IL. Timing was adjusted to TSRA to align with the latest storm motion. Behind this line, dry for the overnight hours unless stratiform rain back builds over KFWA (low confidence, but will monitor). Additional TSRA Tuesday, especially at KFWA, but just beyond this TAF period. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. OH...None. MI...None. MARINE...None. && DISCUSSION...Andersen AVIATION...Brown
The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:46 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency Manager reports several trees and large branches downed including a couple large limbs down onto houses. No injuries reported.
Tree down across Long Lane and US 6 near Union Mills.
Several reports of trees down in the vicinity La Porte, IN, and enroute to La Porte on US Route 35.
Media report of large tree snapped in half near New Carlisle in St. Joseph County in Indiana.
Pictures relayed by EMA of a pole barn suffering damage to several walls and the roof. Trees down in the area. Location along W 100 S, between S 200 and S 300 W.
Several reports of large branches and trees down in and around the greater South Bend area. This includes Georgetown, and Granger. At least one tree was down onto a car.
Photo on Facebook showing a large tree uprooted.
Powerlines down near the intersection of Ash Rd and Jefferson Rd.
Outbuilding damaged north of Mentone on SR 19. Time estimated via radar.
Large tree branches downed near Ferry and Anna Streets.
Large tree downed onto a house on West Main Street.
Tree down on N 1150 W at Stone Lake north of Middlebury.
Spotter reports measured thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph just southwest of Blue Lake in Whitley County in Indiana.
Sixty miles-per-hour wind reported at the Huntington County EMA office.
Emergency Manager report of tree blown down across Ruckman Road near Old Trail Road about 6 miles east of Columbia City.
Emergency Manager report of powerlines downed in Hamilton.
Emergency Manager report of tree downed across roadway on CR 800E just south of US-20 just north of Metz.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 2026
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: 1334284, 1334285, 1334286, 1334287, 1334288, 1334289, 1334290, 1334298, 1334300, 1334295, 1334296, 1334297, 1334291, 1334299, 1334292, 1334294, 1334293.