Severe Storms of January 28, 2008

NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAMS CONFIRM ONE TORNADO, MULTIPLE AREAS OF STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE IN THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AREA.

Damage survey teams from NWS Indianapolis examined areas of damage in Marion, Hendricks, and Morgan counties today.

Their determinations were as follows:

Speedway (Crawfordsville Road and I-465):  EF-1 tornado, 105 mph maximum wind speed estimate
Speedway (30th and High School Road):  Straight line wind damage, 85 mph maximum wind speed estimate
Indianapolis (Kessler and 44th Street):  Straight line wind damage, 85 mph maximum wind speed estimate
Avon (10th and Dan Jones Road):  Straight line wind damage, 100 mph maximum wind speed estimate (confirmed by two separate survey teams)
Martinsville:  Straight line wind damage, 90 mph maximum wind estimate.

This was the first January tornado in Indiana since January 3, 2000 (Washington County).  This was the first January tornado in the Indianapolis county warning area since January 18, 1996 (Tippecanoe County).  A preliminary records search indicates this is only the 13th January tornado in Indiana since 1950.

This event was an excellent example of how straight line winds can do just as much damage as a weak tornado.  It is vitally important to pay attention not just to tornado warnings, but to severe thunderstorm warnings as well.  Significant property damage and personal injury can easily result from both situations.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the damage.

Speedway Tornado

Speedway Wind Damage

Indianapolis Wind Damage

Avon Wind Damage

Martinsville Wind Damage

Below is a summary of storm reports received during the event: 

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
123 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008

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

0605 PM     TSTM WND GST     WEST TERRE HAUTE        39.46N 87.45W
01/29/2008  E70.00 MPH       VIGO               IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER WITNESSED PIECES OF ROOFING MATERIAL BLOWN OFF
BUILDINGS

0605 PM     TSTM WND GST     NORTH TERRE HAUTE       39.54N 87.36W
01/29/2008  E60.00 MPH       VIGO               IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0607 PM     TSTM WND GST     TERRE HAUTE             39.47N 87.38W

01/29/2008  M58.00 MPH       VIGO               IN   BROADCAST MEDIA
MEASURED BY TV STATION WIND EQUIPMENT IN DOWNTOWN TERRE
HAUTE

0612 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 S TERRE HAUTE         39.46N 87.38W
01/29/2008                   VIGO               IN   PUBLIC
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN

0613 PM     TSTM WND GST     MARSHALL                39.85N 87.19W
01/29/2008  M65.00 MPH       PARKE              IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

0620 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 NW TERRE HAUTE        39.51N 87.44W
01/29/2008                   VIGO               IN   AMATEUR RADIO
POWER POLES DOWN IN NEW GOSHEN

0635 PM     HAIL             5 W ODON                38.84N 87.08W
01/29/2008  E0.88 INCH       DAVIESS            IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

0637 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 SE ODON               38.81N 86.95W
01/29/2008  M60.00 MPH       DAVIESS            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
ALSO NICKEL SIZE HAIL

0643 PM     TSTM WND GST     GREENCASTLE             39.64N 86.84W
01/29/2008  M81.00 MPH       PUTNAM             IN   EMERGENCY MNGR
MEASURED WITH WIND EQUIPMENT MOUNTED ON TRUCK.
ALSO...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS CITY.

0644 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 N WASHINGTON          38.70N 87.17W
01/29/2008                   DAVIESS            IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEMI TRUCK OVERTURNED ON STATE ROUTE 57

0652 PM     TSTM WND GST     8 SE FLORA              40.46N 86.42W
01/29/2008  M63.00 MPH       CARROLL            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0655 PM     TSTM WND GST     6 SW SPENCER            39.23N 86.85W
01/29/2008  M58.00 MPH       OWEN               IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0655 PM     TSTM WND GST     FRANKFORT               40.28N 86.51W
01/29/2008  M62.00 MPH       CLINTON            IN   MESONET

0700 PM     TSTM WND DMG     FRANKFORT               40.28N 86.51W
01/29/2008                   CLINTON            IN   EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN ACROSS THE CITY

0705 PM     HAIL             DANVILLE                39.76N 86.52W
01/29/2008  E0.75 INCH       HENDRICKS          IN   AMATEUR RADIO
ALSO ESTIMATED 55 MPH WINDS

0705 PM     TSTM WND GST     BLOOMINGTON             39.17N 86.52W
01/29/2008  M63.00 MPH       MONROE             IN   ASOS

0705 PM     TSTM WND DMG     DANVILLE                39.76N 86.52W
01/29/2008                   HENDRICKS          IN   AMATEUR RADIO
HOUSE HEAVILY DAMAGED ON SOUTHWEST SIDE OF DANVILLE

0705 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MARTINSVILLE            39.42N 86.42W
01/29/2008                   MORGAN             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE PART OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BLOWN OFF

0710 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BEDFORD                 38.86N 86.49W
01/29/2008                   LAWRENCE           IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF BUILDING

0712 PM     TSTM WND GST     BROWNSBURG              39.84N 86.39W
01/29/2008  M66.00 MPH       HENDRICKS          IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0713 PM     TSTM WND GST     BROWNSBURG              39.84N 86.39W
01/29/2008  E60.00 MPH       HENDRICKS          IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
ALSO PEA SIZE HAIL

0716 PM     HAIL             2 E PLAINFIELD          39.70N 86.35W
01/29/2008  E0.75 INCH       HENDRICKS          IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0722 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 S KOKOMO              40.45N 86.13W
01/29/2008  M58.00 MPH       HOWARD             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0722 PM     TSTM WND GST     6 NE INDIANAPOLIS       39.84N 86.07W
01/29/2008  E60.00 MPH       MARION             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0731 PM     HAIL             5 E CARMEL              39.97N 86.02W
01/29/2008  E0.75 INCH       HAMILTON           IN   NWS EMPLOYEE

0735 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 NW MCCORDSVILLE       39.92N 85.94W
01/29/2008  M58.00 MPH       HANCOCK            IN   AWOS
MEASURED AT MOUNT COMFORT AIRPORT

0745 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NE ELWOOD             40.34N 85.76W
01/29/2008                   MADISON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO
HEAVY DAMAGE TO GARAGE

0746 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SPEEDWAY                39.79N 86.25W
01/29/2008                   MARION             IN   AMATEUR RADIO
BUILDING SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE. ALSO TREES DOWN.

0748 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 W SEYMOUR             38.96N 86.00W
01/29/2008                   JACKSON            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE FELL ON HOUSE

0748 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 N NASHVILLE           39.29N 86.24W
01/29/2008                   BROWN              IN   EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN BLOCKING STATE ROUTE 135

0752 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 NE ELWOOD             40.32N 85.79W
01/29/2008                   MADISON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO
SEMI TRUCK OVERTURNED ON STATE ROUTE 37

0815 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 NW NORTH VERNON       39.09N 85.74W
01/29/2008                   JENNINGS           IN   NEWSPAPER
HOUSE TRAILER FLIPPED NEAR SCIPIO.