Tornadoes and Severe Weather of May 21, 2022

Tornadoes

Tornado - 5 South Princes Lakes Brown County Date May 21, 2022 Time (Local) 3:40 PM EDT EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 84 MPH Path Length 0.31 miles Max Width 50 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Numerous trees down in a convergent pattern through a dense wooded area. Widespread straight line winds of 80 to 90 mph created significant uprooted and broken trees within a wide area as well along the damage path. Track Map

Radar and Storm Relative Velocity at 3:43 PM EDT

Tornado - Camp Atterbury Johnson County Date May 21, 2022 Time (Local) 3:48 PM EDT EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 84 MPH Path Length 0.10 miles Max Width 50 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: A weak tornado briefly touched down at Camp Atterbury. The steeple at a church was blown over and several vehicles were lifted slightly with plywood debris from the roof of the church underneath the tires of the cars. Widespread straight line winds of 80 to 90 mph created significant uprooted and broken trees within a wide area as well.  . Track Map

Radar/Storm Relative Velocity at 3:48 PM EDT

Tornado - Near Edinburgh to Near St. Paul Shelby County Date May 21, 2022 Time (Local) 3:57 PM - 4:12 PM EDT EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 110 MPH Path Length 13.78 miles Max Width 100 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Tornado was skipping along entire path. Damage path was maximized in Mt. Auburn where width reach 100 yards. Many trees down or uprooted along path. Widespread straight line winds of 80 to 90 mph created significant uprooted and broken trees within a wide area as well along the damage path.. Track Map Note: Path May Change! (As of May 23, 2022)

Radar/Storm Relative Velocity/CC/Rotation at 3:59 PM EDT

Tornado - East of Edinburgh Shelby County Date May 21, 2022 Time (Local) 3:58 - 3:59 PM EDT EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 95 mph Path Length 0.23 miles Max Width 25 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Additional damage reports received of trees uprooted and snapped coupled with new video footage indicated a very small tornadic circulation moved through the Auburn Hills subdivision. This was in addition to widespread straight line winds of 75 to 90 mph which also lead to numerous uprooted and broken trees. . Track Map

Radar/Velocity image at 3:59 PM EDT

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Radar

Loop of Event

Storm Reports

Below is a list of reports received by NWS Indianapolis. Please note that some damage initially listed as caused by thunderstorm winds may have been caused by one of the tornadoes.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN

0245 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 W FREEDOM             39.21N 86.92W
05/21/2022                   OWEN               IN   BROADCAST MEDIA

            GRAIN BIN ON TOP OF HOUSE. REPORT VIA
            TWITTER. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

0255 PM     HAIL             MCCORMICKS CREEK STATE  39.29N 86.76W
05/21/2022  E0.70 INCH       OWEN               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0303 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ELLETTSVILLE            39.23N 86.63W
05/21/2022                   MONROE             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            LARGE TREES AND POWER LINE DOWN. TIME
            ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

0308 PM     TSTM WND DMG     GOSPORT                 39.35N 86.66W
05/21/2022                   OWEN               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TREES DOWN REPORT VIA TWITTER WITH
            VIDEO. TREES KNOCKED POWER LINES DOWN.

0314 PM     HAIL             2 S MODOC               40.02N 85.13W
05/21/2022  U0.75 INCH       RANDOLPH           IN   PUBLIC

            REPORT FROM MPING: DIME (0.75 IN.).
            
0320 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 S INDIANA UNIVERSITY  39.15N 86.53W
05/21/2022                   MONROE             IN   PUBLIC

            REPORT FROM MPING: 1-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN;
            SHINGLES BLOWN OFF.

0320 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SMITHVILLE              39.07N 86.51W
05/21/2022                   MONROE             IN   PUBLIC

            RECEIVED A REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA OF TREES
            AND POWERLINES DOWN ON FAIRFAX AND STRAIN
            RIDGE RD SOUTH OF SMITHVILLE, IN.

0325 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S HARRODSBURG         38.99N 86.53W
05/21/2022                   LAWRENCE           IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            BUILDINGS DAMAGED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM
            RADAR.


0326 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MITCHELL                38.74N 86.48W
05/21/2022                   LAWRENCE           IN   PUBLIC

            TREE FELL ON HOUSE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM
            RADAR.

0329 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 WSW WOODVILLE HILLS   39.13N 86.45W
05/21/2022                   MONROE             IN   PUBLIC

            REPORT FROM MPING: 3-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN;
            POWER POLES BROKEN.


0330 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W MARTINSVILLE        39.42N 86.43W
05/21/2022                   MORGAN             IN   PUBLIC

            LARGE TREE BRANCHES DOWN. PUBLIC REPORTS
            HIGH WIND.

0340 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SE PEOGA              39.33N 86.13W
05/21/2022                   BROWN              IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LARGE AREA OF TREES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED
            FROM RADAR

0341 PM     TORNADO          4 S PEOGA               39.28N 86.13W
05/21/2022                   BROWN              IN   NWS STORM SURVEY

            DELAYED REPORT. NWS STORM SURVEY FOUND
            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN
            THROUGH A DENSE WOODED AREA. MAX ESTIMATED
            WIND SPEED WAS 84 MPH.

0348 PM     TORNADO          3 W EDINBURGH           39.35N 86.03W
05/21/2022                   JOHNSON            IN   NWS STORM SURVEY

            DELAYED REPORT. NWS SURVEY FOUND WEAK
            TORNADO DAMAGE AT CAMP ATTERBURY. THE
            STEEPLE AT A CHURCH WAS BLOWN OVER WITH
            DAMAGE TO NEARBY VEHICLES. MAX WIND SPEED
            WAS ESTIMATED AT 84 MPH.

0353 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSW CLIFFORD          39.26N 85.88W
05/21/2022                   BARTHOLOMEW        IN   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
            
            
0353 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 ENE EDINBURGH         39.36N 85.94W
05/21/2022                   SHELBY             IN   PUBLIC

            LARGE TREE LIMBS ON HOUSE. REPORT VIA
            TWITTER. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR

0356 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NE COLUMBUS           39.24N 85.88W
05/21/2022                   BARTHOLOMEW        IN   PUBLIC

            RECEIVED MULTIPLE PICTURES VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
            OF LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN ON NE SIDE OF
            COLUMBUS.

0356 PM     TSTM WND DMG     EDINBURGH               39.36N 85.96W
05/21/2022                   JOHNSON            IN   PUBLIC

            PICTURE SENT TO US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA OF A
            LARGE TREE DOWN BLOCKING A ROAD IN
            EDINBURGH.

0356 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SSE EDINBURGH         39.32N 85.96W
05/21/2022                   BARTHOLOMEW        IN   PUBLIC

            NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWN IN THE AREA,
            HIGHWAY SIGN FOLDED OVER. REPORT VIA
            TWITTER. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

0356 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S CLIFFORD            39.26N 85.88W
05/21/2022                   BARTHOLOMEW        IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TREE LIMB DOWN. WIND ESTIMATION NEAR
            80 MPH. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.


0400 PM     TORNADO          3 S MARIETTA            39.39N 85.89W
05/21/2022                   SHELBY             IN   NWS STORM SURVEY

            DELAYED REPORT. NWS SURVEY FOUND SPORADIC
            EF1 TORNADO DAMAGE ALONG A 13.8 MILE TRACK
            THROUGH SOUTHERN SHELBY COUNTY. THE TORNADO
            SKIPPED SEVERAL TIMES WITH WIDESPREAD TREE
            DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH. MAX WIND SPEEDS
            ESTIMATED AT 110 MPH.


0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SSW MARIETTA          39.39N 85.90W
05/21/2022                   SHELBY             IN   PUBLIC

            MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.

0405 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SW CLIFFORD           39.27N 85.90W
05/21/2022  M71 MPH          BARTHOLOMEW        IN   AWOS

            AWOS STATION KBAK COLUMBUS.

0405 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SAINT PAUL              39.43N 85.63W
05/21/2022                   DECATUR            IN   PUBLIC

            WIDESPREAD MULTIPLE TREES DOWN. SOME ON
            HOMES. ESTIMATED WIND GUST OF 80+MPH. TIME
            IS ESTIMATED

0410 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SAINT PAUL              39.43N 85.63W
05/21/2022                   DECATUR            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIDE SPREAD TREE DAMAGE REPORTED; FRONT OF A
            ROOF PEELED OFF ON OLD ST RTE 421; LARGE
            TREES BLOCKING ROADS IN NUMEROUS AREAS. TIME
            ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

0411 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 SSE BLOOMINGTON       39.12N 86.49W
05/21/2022  M58 MPH          MONROE             IN   PUBLIC

            WINDS AT MONROE LAKE 58 MPH GUST, ALSO HEAVY
            RAIN WITH TREE DAMAGE.     

0413 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SE WALDRON            39.45N 85.66W
05/21/2022                   SHELBY             IN   PUBLIC

            NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWN, SOME LARGE, ACROSS
            AREA.

0415 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 N SAINT PAUL          39.45N 85.63W
05/21/2022  E65 MPH          SHELBY             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER ESTIMATES 65 MPH WINDS.            

0425 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 N ADAMS               39.41N 85.56W
05/21/2022                   DECATUR            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TREES DOWN. ESTIMATED WIND GUST OF 75+
            MPH.
            

Environment

A cold front was moving across central Indiana during the afternoon of May 21. An area of low pressure was along the front to the southwest.

Figure 1: MSLP and Surface Winds at 4:00 PM EDT	Figure 2: Mixed Layer CAPE at 3:00 PM EDT	Figure 3: LCL Heights at 4:00 PM EDT

Figure 4: Supercell Parameter at 3:00 PM EDT