NWS Northern Indiana May 23rd 2004 Severe Storms

May 23, 2004 Wind Damage

Synopsis:
An upper level disturbance moving east through the mid Mississippi Valley sparked a large complex of thunderstorms over central Illinois late on the morning of the 23rd. This complex of thunderstorms then moved northeast through central and northeast Indiana and into northwest Ohio. Over northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio, several thunderstorms merged into a bow echo, which is a line of thunderstorms with very strong winds. This bow echo produced very strong winds and numerous reports of damage late Sunday afternoon from Wabash and Huntington eastward through Bluffton and Decatur and into northwest Ohio.

Warning Overview:
The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana issued 20 severe thunderstorm warnings for this severe weather event. Of the 20 counties placed under severe thunderstorm warnings, 18 received wind damage or large hail. The average lead time, which is the time between the beginning of the warning and the first severe weather report, was over 17 minutes.

Damage Reports:
The majority of the damage from this bow echo was in the form of downed trees and power lines. Trained weather spotters reported several wind gusts to 70 mph in northwest Ohio. In Indiana, a barn was blown down in the southwest corner of Huntington county. Near Haviland Ohio in Paulding county, a grain bin was blown off its foundation and came to rest about one half mile away. Below are several pictures of the area's damage.

Huntington County - Courtesy Huntington County EMA


Miami County - Courtesy Miami County EMA


Paulding County- Courtesy Paulding County EMA

Adams County - Courtesy Adams County EMA