June 2008 Indiana Flood Event

June 2008 Flooding

From the evening of June 6 to the morning of June 7, thunderstorms produced very heavy rain across portions of Central Indiana. Amounts of nearly 11 inches were recorded in some areas. This rain lead to record river flooding in some areas during the week afterward.

The storms were produced when strong winds above the ground interacted with an outflow boundary left over from the storms that produced severe weather earlier in the day of June 6. Below is an annotated surface map from 1:00 AM June 7 (Click to enlarge)

Rainfall amounts of 5 to 11 inches were common south of Interstate 70. Below are maps of 24 hour rainfall ending 7:00 AM EDT June 7 (left) and 7:00 AM EDT June 8 (right)

Below are some rainfall totals from the June 6-7 heavy rain event (all amounts are unofficial unless indicated):

Rainfall Amount	Location
10.71	Edinburgh - Unofficial data, does not officially break State Record for 24 hour rainfall
9.85	3 miles south of Paragon
9.80	Spencer
9.50	3 miles east of Center Point (official cooperative observer report)
8.80	Martinsville
7.50	1 mile north of Brazil
7.29	2 miles east of Franklin
6.83	Terre Haute (official ASOS observation)
6.58	Brooklyn
6.37	Mooresville
6.00	2 miles south of Ellettsville
4.00	4 miles west of Plainfield
3.09	7 miles east of Southport

Below is an image of the 7 day total rainfall ending 8:00 AM June 8:

Widespread flooding occurred due to the heavy rain. Eventually the water worked into area rivers, causing record floods in some areas. Below are several pictures of flooding. Click on the picture to see a larger version. Thanks to all who sent in photos.

Satellite view of the flooded rivers. This false color image was taken the afternoon of June 10. Image courtesy of NOAA:

More satellite views of the flooded rivers. These false color images show images before and
during the flood. The first image is from May 28; the second image is from June 8; the third is from June 11. In these images the rivers are the black/blue colors, while the land is red/green. Clouds are white. Images courtesy of Purdue/USGS/NASA.

Below are close up satellite views of Knox and Daviess counties, from the same satellite as the images above. The one on the left is from before the flood, while the one on the right is from June 11. In these images the rivers are the black/blue colors, while the land is red/green. Images courtesy of Purdue/USGS/NASA.

Flooding images taken from areas near Seymour (courtesy of C. Everhart):

Flooding images taken from near Elnora in Daviess county (courtesy of M. Cornelius)

Flooding along White River in Daviess County (courtesy of J. R. Armes)

Flooding along Wabash River near Vincennes (courtesy of S. Sievers)

Flooding from rains in Terre Haute (courtesy of T. Riker)

The flood waters had an effect on clouds as well. In the satellite pictures below, you can see the outline of the flooded rivers on the afternoon of June 14. The left image does not have any geographic identifiers, while the image on the right has county outlines and names the rivers visible.

Below is a list of reports received:

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1101 AM EDT SAT JUN 07 2008
..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0422 AM     FLOOD            PARAGON                 39.39N 86.56W
06/07/2008                   MORGAN             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
SOME ROADS FLOODED.




0422 AM     FLOOD            SPENCER                 39.29N 86.77W
06/07/2008                   OWEN               IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTING MUCH OF THE TOWN OF SPENCER
UNDER WATER. OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY ALSO FLOODED.

0427 AM     FLASH FLOOD      SULLIVAN                39.10N 87.41W
06/07/2008                   SULLIVAN           IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS CARS HELPED OUT OF HIGH WATER ON VARIOUS LOW
SPOTS ON THE ROADWAYS.

0427 AM     FLASH FLOOD      TERRE HAUTE             39.47N 87.38W
06/07/2008                   VIGO               IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
POLICE HAVING TO STOP MOTORISTS FROM GOING AROUND HIGH
WATER SIGNS ACROSS THE COUNTY.

0427 AM     FLASH FLOOD      BRAZIL                  39.52N 87.12W
06/07/2008                   CLAY               IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
POLICE CLOSING MANY ROADS WITH HIGH WATER.

0427 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WORTHINGTON             39.12N 86.98W
06/07/2008                   GREENE             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
PART OF STATE ROAD 157 ALONG WITH OTHER COUNTY ROADS ARE
CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.

0427 AM     FLASH FLOOD      STINESVILLE             39.30N 86.65W
06/07/2008                   MONROE             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
STATE ROAD 37 FLOODED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF MONROE
COUNTY. MANY ROADS CLOSED AND SOME HOMES BEING EVACUATED
AT STINESVILLE AND ELLETTSVILLE.

0511 AM     HEAVY RAIN       3 S PARAGON             39.35N 86.56W
06/07/2008  M6.09 INCH       MORGAN             IN   CO-OP OBSERVER
6.09 INCHES OF RAIN MEASURE SINCE YESTERDAY EVENING.

0633 AM     FLASH FLOOD      MARTINSVILLE            39.42N 86.42W
06/07/2008                   MORGAN             IN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPT REPORTS MULTIPLE WATER
RESCUES FROM RISING STREAMS AND WATER OVER THE ROADWAYS.

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 WNW BLOOMINGTON       39.21N 86.64W
06/07/2008  M3.28 INCH       MONROE             IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SSW EDINBURGH         39.34N 85.97W
06/07/2008  M4.95 INCH       JOHNSON            IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       4 WSW GOSPORT           39.33N 86.73W
06/07/2008  M9.18 INCH       OWEN               IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 E MARTINSVILLE        39.42N 86.40W
06/07/2008  M6.52 INCH       MORGAN             IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       1 NNE MARTINSVILLE      39.44N 86.41W
06/07/2008  M6.10 INCH       MORGAN             IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       4 E SPENCER             39.29N 86.69W
06/07/2008  M7.73 INCH       MONROE             IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 S SPENCER             39.19N 86.77W
06/07/2008  M3.34 INCH       OWEN               IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       4 SW UNIVERSAL          39.58N 87.51W
06/07/2008  M6.45 INCH       VIGO               IN   MESONET

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       8 SW GREENCASTLE        39.56N 86.95W
06/07/2008  M4.57 INCH       PUTNAM             IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       SPENCER                 39.29N 86.77W
06/07/2008  M7.15 INCH       OWEN               IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       3 SE CENTER POINT       39.38N 87.03W
06/07/2008  M9.50 INCH       CLAY               IN   CO-OP OBSERVER
OBSERVER MEASURED 9.50 INCHES OF RAIN AT BOWLING GREEN.



0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       SPENCER                 39.29N 86.77W
06/07/2008  M6.80 INCH       OWEN               IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 SW SPENCER            39.22N 86.86W
06/07/2008  M5.60 INCH       OWEN               IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       MARTINSVILLE            39.42N 86.42W
06/07/2008  M8.80 INCH       MORGAN             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       15 NW MARTINSVILLE      39.58N 86.62W
06/07/2008  M4.20 INCH       MORGAN             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       ELLETTSVILLE            39.23N 86.62W
06/07/2008  M3.75 INCH       MONROE             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       2 S ELLETTSVILLE        39.20N 86.62W
06/07/2008  M6.00 INCH       MONROE             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       3 SE CENTER POINT       39.38N 87.03W
06/07/2008  M9.50 INCH       CLAY               IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       2 E FRANKLIN            39.49N 86.02W
06/07/2008  M3.52 INCH       JOHNSON            IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 E SOUTHPORT           39.66N 85.99W
06/07/2008  M3.09 INCH       MARION             IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0700 AM     HEAVY RAIN       TERRE HAUTE             39.47N 87.38W
06/07/2008  M4.59 INCH       VIGO               IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0705 AM     FLASH FLOOD      1 S MARTINSVILLE        39.41N 86.42W
06/07/2008                   MORGAN             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
WATER RESCUES UNDERWAY NEAR S.R. 37 AND LIBERTY CHURCH
RD.

0745 AM     HEAVY RAIN       3 S PARAGON             39.35N 86.56W
06/07/2008  M8.67 INCH       MORGAN             IN   MESONET
COCORAHS SPOTTER REPORTS 8.67 STORM TOTAL WITH RAIN
CONTINUING.

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       TERRE HAUTE             39.47N 87.38W
06/07/2008  M6.61 INCH       VIGO               IN   OFFICIAL NWS OBS
REPORTED BY TERRE HAUTE ASOS.

0816 AM     HEAVY RAIN       2 E FRANKLIN            39.49N 86.02W
06/07/2008  M3.52 INCH       JOHNSON            IN   NWS EMPLOYEE
NWS RETIREE REPORTS 3.52 INCHES OF RAIN.

0900 AM     FLASH FLOOD      2 N MARTINSVILLE        39.45N 86.42W
06/07/2008                   MORGAN             IN   BROADCAST MEDIA
MUDSLIDE REPORTED ON BLUE BLUFF ROAD NORTH OF
MARTINSVILLE. AT LEAST ONE HOME DAMAGED.

0930 AM     FLASH FLOOD      FRANKLIN                39.49N 86.06W
06/07/2008                   JOHNSON            IN   BROADCAST MEDIA
FLOODING AT THE HOSPITAL AND AT LEAST 2 BRIDGES HAVE
FAILED ON COUNTY ROADS.

0940 AM     FLASH FLOOD      COLUMBUS                39.21N 85.91W
06/07/2008                   BARTHOLOMEW        IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
FLASH FLOODING OCCURRING. SPOTTER REPORTS FLOODING IN
AREAS THAT RARELY FLOOD.

1036 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 SE DANVILLE           39.72N 86.47W
06/07/2008                   HENDRICKS          IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
WATER WAS OVER CARTERSBURG ROAD.

1036 AM     FLASH FLOOD      4 WSW BRAZIL            39.50N 87.19W
06/07/2008                   CLAY               IN   BROADCAST MEDIA
INTERSTATE 70 CLOSED BY FLOOD WATERS.

&&
SUMMARY OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOOD REPORTS RECEIVED AS OF 1100 AM EDT