Tornadoes · United States · Indiana · 2005

F2 tornado, Onward to Bunker Hill, Indiana, July 26, 2005

From Onward to Bunker Hill, this F2 tornado ran 4.0 miles across Cass and Miami counties on July 26, 2005, touching down at 8:25 PM EST and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $450,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mphthis tornado

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
F2
Date
July 26, 2005
Touchdown
8:25 PM EST (01:25 UTC)
Path length
4.0 miles (6.4 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$450,000
Counties
Cass and Miami counties
Touchdown point
40.680, -86.220
Lift-off point
40.680, -86.130
Record number
1074

What the Weather Service recorded

A NWS survey confirmed a tornado touched down a few hundred feet west of county road 950 E between 500 and 600 S, just southwest of Onward. Extensive damage occurred to a barn as well as numerous trees in the area. The door of the barn was open which likely aided in the destruction of the barn. Damage in the area was consistent with a tornado of F2 intensity. The tornado continued on into Miami county where additional damage was found.

A NWS survey confirmed that a tornado that had caused damage across extreme eastern Cass county in Indiana crossed into Miami county and continued to cause damage as it moved just north of the Grissom Air Force base. The tornado dropped into a river valley and flipped over some conveyor machines in a quarry located in the valley. Damage to these was consistent with an F1 tornado. The tornado intensified as it moved into a area of houses in this valley. The first house that was struck suffered extensive damage with its garage and porch destroyed. Damage from the first home impacted a second home, also causing extensive damage to the west side of the house. This damage was consistent with an F2 tornado. As the tornado lifted out of the valley, it quickly dissipated. The tornado was on the ground for 3 miles in Miami county with a total track of 4 miles during its lifetime. No injuries were reported as one house was unoccupied and the residents of the other house, had sought shelter in their basement.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

13 minutes of warning. NWS IWX issued a tornado warning for this county at 01:12 UTC, 13 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:43 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
00:49 UTC01:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningIWX
01:12 UTC01:43 UTCTornado WarningIWX

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:54 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Jul 26, 6:49 PM EST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 6:49 PM EST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
649 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

.AVIATION...
00Z-24Z.

A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SINK SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE CWFA THROUGH 06Z. A TANDEM OF SHORTWAVES IN THE MID LVL
FLOW ALOFT WILL PROVIDE UPPER LVL LIFT ALONG AND BEHIND FRONTAL
BOUNDARY THROUGH 12Z. THUS...AM EXPECTING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS
OVERNIGHT WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. ONCE PCPN ENDS...MVFR
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE WITH STRATIFORM CLOUDS. CIGS WILL BEGIN
TO LIFT ABOVE THE MVFR LVL BETWEEN 15Z AND 18Z AS DAYTIME HEATING
ALLOWS SFC TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREAD TO INCREASE.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...

SHORT TERM...
SHORT DISCUSSION WITH SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL ONGOING.

PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WORKING ACROSS FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON WITH
SCATTERED CONVECTION FINALLY DEVELOPING. REGIONAL RADAR SHOWS LARGE
AREA OF RAIN UPSTREAM WITH MID LEVEL TROUGH AND MAIN COLD FRONT.
MODELS SWING THIS THROUGH OVERNIGHT SO WILL INCREASE POPS TO
CATEGORICAL. SOME WIND REPORTS COMING IN ALONG NORTHERN PORTION OF
FRONT AS SHOWERS MIX WINDS TO THE SURFACE. WILL CONTINUE WITH
TSRA/SHRA CHANCES AS LEADING EDGE WILL ENCOUNTER INSTABILITY AXIS TO
OUR WEST THIS AFTERNOON. LINGERING MOISTURE SOUTHEAST WED MORNING SO
LOW CHANCE POP FOR SHOWERS FOR A FEW HOURS. OTHERWISE SUBSIDENCE AND
CLEARING SHOULD WORK SOUTH DURING THE DAY. WILL BE MUCH COOLER AND
RELATIVELY DRIER. HIGHS SHOULD TOP OUT ONLY IN THE MID 70S WITH
DEWPOINTS FALLING INTO THE 50S MOST AREAS.

LONG TERM...
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY

ABBREVIATED LONG TERM DISCUSSION TODAY WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH JUST ISSUED. IN THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD SUBTLE BUT IMPORTANT
PATTERN CHANGES WILL TAKE PLACE WITH A BROAD TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER
SOUTHEAST CANADA. THIS TROUGH WILL BE REINFORCED BY SEVERAL NORTHERN
STREAM SHORTWAVES ROTATING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE MEAN EASTERN NOAM
TROUGH.

MAJOR COOL DOWN IS ON THE WAY TODAY WITH PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH NOW
ENTERING THE NW CORNER OF THE CWA WITH MAIN COLD FRONT AND PUSH OF
MUCH COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR MOVING SOUTH THROUGH WI/MI. SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH OVER THE CWA WED NGT AND THURS.
GFS/CANADIAN GEM BOTH DRAG A WEAK SECONDARY COLD FRONT THROUGH THE
LOWER GREAT LAKES FRIDAY MORNING. BEST DYNAMICS WILL PASS WELL
NORTH OF THE CWA AS BEST HEIGHT FALLS AND DPVA SHEAR EAST THROUGH
SOUTHERN CANADA. GIVEN THE WEAK DYNAMICS AND POOR MOISTURE RETURN
IN ADVANCE OF THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE WITH A DRY
FORECAST. FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY NIGHT NEXT CANADIAN HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE CWA WITH SURFACE RIDGING PERSISTING
THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THIS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR
A PERIOD OF SEASONABLE TEMPS WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 80S ALONG WITH
LOW HUMIDITY AND MOSTLY SUNNY DAYS WITH MAINLY CLEAR AND SEASONABLY
COOL NIGHTS.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY FOR INZ004-
     INZ005-INZ006-INZ007-INZ008-INZ009-INZ012-INZ013-INZ014-
     INZ015-INZ016-INZ017-INZ018-INZ020-INZ022-INZ023-INZ024-
     INZ025-INZ026-INZ027-INZ032-INZ033-INZ034.

MI...NONE.
OH...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR
     OHZ001- OHZ002-OHZ004-OHZ005-OHZ015-OHZ016-OHZ024-OHZ025.

LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY FOR LMZ043-LMZ046.

&&

AVIATION/UPDATE...HICKMAN
SHORT TERM...SLL
LONG TERM...JPH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 26, 4:47 AM EST, 15 hours 38 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
447 AM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-271000-
ADAMS IN-ALLEN OH-ALLEN IN-BERRIEN MI-BLACKFORD IN-BRANCH MI-CASS MI-
CASS IN-DE KALB IN-DEFIANCE OH-ELKHART IN-FULTON OH-FULTON IN-
GRANT IN-HENRY OH-HILLSDALE MI-HUNTINGTON IN-JAY IN-KOSCIUSKO IN-
LA PORTE IN-LAGRANGE IN-MARSHALL IN-MIAMI IN-NOBLE IN-PAULDING OH-
PULASKI IN-PUTNAM OH-ST. JOSEPH MI-ST. JOSEPH IN-STARKE IN-
STEUBEN IN-VAN WERT OH-WABASH IN-WELLS IN-WHITE IN-WHITLEY IN-
WILLIAMS OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANGOLA...ARCHBOLD...AUBURN...
BENTON HARBOR...BENTON HEIGHTS...BERNE...BLUFFTON...BREMEN...BRYAN...
BUCHANAN...BUTLER...COLDWATER...COLUMBIA CITY...DECATUR...DEFIANCE...
DELPHOS...DOWAGIAC...DUNKIRK...DUNLAP...ELKHART...FAIR PLAIN...
FAIRMOUNT...FORT SHAWNEE...FORT WAYNE...GARRETT...GAS CITY...
GEORGETOWN...GOSHEN...GRANGER...GRISSOM AFB...GULIVOIRE PARK...
HARTFORD CITY...HICKSVILLE...HILLSDALE...HUNTINGTON...KENDALLVILLE...
KNOX...LA PORTE...LAGRANGE...LIGONIER...LIMA...LOGANSPORT...MARION...
MICHIGAN CITY...MISHAWAKA...MONTICELLO...MONTPELIER...NAPOLEON...
NAPPANEE...NEW HAVEN...NILES...NORTH MANCHESTER...OSSIAN...OTTAWA...
PERU...PLYMOUTH...PORTLAND...ROCHESTER...SIMONTON LAKE...
SOUTH BEND...ST. JOSEPH...STURGIS...SWANTON...SYRACUSE...
THREE RIVERS...TRAIL CREEK...TRI-LAKES...UPLAND...VAN WERT...
WABASH...WARSAW...WAUSEON...WESTVILLE...WINAMAC AND WINONA LAKE
447 AM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN INDIANA...NORTHWEST
OHIO AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT
AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
DAMAGING WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAJOR THREATS WITH
THESE STORMS. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

VERY WARM AND MUGGY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY. IT WILL NOT
BE QUITE AS WARM AS THE LAST FEW DAYS...BUT HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR 90
AND VERY HUMID AIR WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE HEAT INDICES APPROACHING
100 THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

LMZ043-046-061-271000-
447 AM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST LAKE
MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A COLD
FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WINDS AND
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAJOR THREATS WITH THESE STORMS. THE
MOST LIKELY TIME FOR DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON.

BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 30 MPH WILL BE COMMON TODAY
AND TONIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS WAVE PROMPTED A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TO
BE ISSUED...AND THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE
SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

EDDY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:14 PM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
714 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0708 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 E DENVER              40.86N 85.98W
07/26/2005                   MIAMI              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN

&&

EBREON
Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:30 PM EST, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
730 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0727 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WABASH                  40.80N 85.83W
07/26/2005                   WABASH             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POLES BLOWN DOWN

&&

EBREON
Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:46 PM EST, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
746 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0655 PM     HAIL             WATERLOO                41.43N 85.03W
07/26/2005  0.75 INCH        DE KALB            IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

EBREON
Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:49 PM EST, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
749 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0743 PM     TSTM WND GST     BRYAN                   41.47N 84.55W
07/26/2005  60 MPH           WILLIAMS           OH   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

EBREON
Local storm report, Jul 26, 7:57 PM EST, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
757 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0743 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SE BRYAN              41.45N 84.52W
07/26/2005                   WILLIAMS           OH   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS ROAD

&&

EBREON
Local storm report, Jul 26, 8:02 PM EST, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
802 PM EST TUE JUL 26 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0740 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BROOKSTON               40.60N 86.87W
07/26/2005                   WHITE              IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER LINES AND POLE BLOWN DOWN

&&

EBREON

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z

1.4 hours before the tornado, 214 km from the path. July 27, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2005-07-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 110 joules per kilogram, CIN -157, lifted condensation level 717 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2005-07-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 42 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
110 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-157 J/kg
Surface CAPE
35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
717 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
285 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.1
0-3 km lapse rate
4.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z

10.6 hours after it, 214 km from the path. July 27, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2005-07-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -50722, lifted condensation level 704 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2005-07-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -22 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 46 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50722 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
704 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
00:08 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 E DenverMiami, INLARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN
00:27 UTCTSTM WND DMGWabashWabash, INPOLES BLOWN DOWN
00:40 UTCTSTM WND DMGBrookstonWhite, INPOWER LINES AND POLE BLOWN DOWN
01:00 UTCTORNADODaytonTippecanoe, INMICROBURST WITH EMBEDDED TORNADO. TREES LIMBS WERE SNAPPED AND FELL ONTO HOMES. CROPS WERE DAMAGED.
01:07 UTCHAIL 0.5RossvilleClinton, INNO POWER, APPROX 50 MPH WIND GUS
01:15 UTCTORNADO4 Ene WaltonCass, INCORN BLOWN DOWN. HOUSE HEAVILY DAMAGED. BARN KNOCKED DOWN. SEVERAL LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
01:17 UTCTSTM WND GST 707 S LogansportCass, IN
01:18 UTCTSTM WND DMGFrankfortClinton, IN2 BUSINESSES DAMAGED, DOZENS OF HOMES DAMAGED COUNTY-WIDE
01:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGFrankfortClinton, IN2448 W 600N, BARN BLOWN DOWN
01:25 UTCTSTM WND DMGAmboyMiami, INTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
01:25 UTCTORNADOSw OnwardCass, INF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED. TOUCHDOWN AT 825 PM EST 0.7 MILES SW OF ONWARD. TRACK LENGTH 1 MILE TO THE MIAMI COUNTY LINE 1 MILE SE OF ONWARD. MAXIMUM WIDTH 100 YARDS. TORNADO CONTINUED INTO MIAMI COUNTY.
01:27 UTCTORNADO4 Nw Bunker HillMiami, INF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN CASS COUNTY AND CROSSED INTO MIAMI COUNTY 4 MILES NW OF BUNKER HILL. THE TRACK LENGTH WAS 3 MILES IN MIAMI COUNTY. MAXIMUM WIDTH 100 YARDS.
01:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 N TiptonTipton, INTREES DOWNED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 600N.
01:30 UTCTORNADO4 Wsw KokomoHoward, INF0 TORNADO IN CHAPAGNE SHORES SUBDIVISION SHEARING OFF SEVERAL TREES. THIS WAS CONCURRENT WITH AN ADJACENT MICROBURST IMPACTING THE SAME AREA.
01:30 UTCTORNADONe FrankfortClinton, INBRIEF TOUCHDOWN. GARAGE DESTROYED ALONG WITH NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED.
01:30 UTCTORNADO2 W Bunker HillMiami, INTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
01:30 UTCTORNADOW Bunker HillMiami, INTORNADO REPORTED US31 AND INDIANA STATE ROAD 218
01:31 UTCTSTM WND GST 59Grissom AfbMiami, IN
01:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Se KokomoHoward, IN18 INCH LIVE BRANCHES DOWN
01:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 W KokomoHoward, INTELEPHONE POLE PUSHED DOWN, BLOCKING BARCKLEY RD ON WEST SIDE
01:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Sw KokomoHoward, IN5-6 INCH TREE BROKEN OFF AT GROUND
01:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGRussiavilleHoward, IN12 INCH TREE ON ROAD
01:35 UTCBLIZZARDRussiavilleHoward, IN12 INCH TREE ON ROAD
01:40 UTCTORNADOSe MichigantownClinton, INBRIEF TOUCHDOWN
01:41 UTCTSTM WND DMGBurlingtonCarroll, INWHOLE TREES DOWN, POWER LINES DOWN AT ST RD 29 AND SR 22
01:46 UTCTSTM WND GST 60GreentownHoward, INHORIZONTAL RAIN
01:46 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N WabashWabash, INUTILITY POLES BLOWN DOWN NORTH OF WABASH. TREE ALSO BLOWN DOWN NORTH OF WABASH ONTO A CAR.
01:47 UTCTSTM WND DMG10 Se WabashWabash, INTREE BLOWN DOWN ONTO POWER LINE.
02:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGMarionGrant, INTREES REPORTED KNOCKED DOWN

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2005 tornado in IndianaEvery tornado in Indiana since 1950Warnings in force in Indiana nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 26, 2005

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 264:20 PM CDTF0Ector, TX0.12
July 268:00 PM ESTF0Tippecanoe, IN0.150$10,000
July 268:30 PM ESTF0Howard, IN0.175$10,000
July 268:30 PM ESTF1Clinton, IN0.250$250,000
July 268:40 PM ESTF0Clinton, IN0.250$180,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.