Overview
A frontal boundary moving through the area led to severe weather across parts of northern Indiana and Northwest Ohio. We received several reports of funnel clouds north of Idaville, IN during the afternoon. White County, IN Emergency Management reported that there was extensive damage near that area. NWS Northern Indiana completed a damage survey near Idaville on July 24th and confirmed that an EF-0 tornado did touch down, with a track less than 2 miles long. Thanks to those who submitted pictures and reports of severe weather and damage during the event. If you have a report of severe weather from July 23, 2017 submit it to us on social media or via our report form.
Page last updated at 2:53 pm EDT July 24, 2017 |
Tornadoes:
Tornado: North of Idaville, IN White County, IN
Track Map Downloadable KMZ File |
||||||||||||||||
|
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 |
Wind & Hail:
We received reports of wind damage and hail up to 1" (quarter-sized). See the "Storm reports" section for details, and the photos section.
Other Event Photos
Here are some of the other great photos sent in to us from weather spotters and other partners. Thank you to everyone who sent them in!
Heavy rain and wind from Pettisville, OH. Photo by Ben Kessler | Shelf cloud north of Rochester, IN. Photo by Chris Bake. | Shelf cloud north of Rochester, IN. Photo by Chris Bake. | Storm cell near Muncie, IN.Photo sent to us via Blue Rose on Twitter. |
Thunderstorm in White County, IN. Submitted by Christel Browning. | Mammatus Clouds near Plymouth, IN. Photo by Jack Garner. | Thunderstorm east of Kempton, IN. Photo by Tanya Bland. | Thunderstorm east of Kempton, IN. Photo by Tanya Bland. |
Rainbow near Warsaw, IN. Submitted by Michael Lewis. | Storm in near Idaville, IN. Photo by Tracy Lenzini. | Damage from storm north of Idaville. Sent to us via White County, IN EMA | Damage from storm north of Idaville. Sent to us via White County, IN EMA |
Damage from storm north of Idaville. Sent to us via White County, IN EMA | Damage from storm north of Idaville. Sent to us via White County, IN EMA | Storm near North Judson, IN. Photo by Michael Vasserly. | Storm near Converse, IN. Photo by Weather Scoop (Twitter User) |
Tree damage on Auburn & Union Chapel Roads in Fort Wayne, IN. Photo by Mark Buchler. | Storm cell near the radar at NWS IWX. Photo by Megan Dodson | Storm cell near the radar at NWS IWX. Photo by Megan Dodson | Heavy rain near Auburn, IN. Photo by Indiana Severe Weather (Twitter User). |
Radar:
Select images from the possible Tornado north of Idaville, IN. Coming soon!
GIF of the weather between 3:30PM EDT and 4:30 EDT. Notice the storm's motion in White county. | A side by side image of reflectivity and velocity showing inbound and outbound velocities near each other, but it's pretty broad rotation. | The storm moves farther south and east closer to Burnettsville, IN around 3:35 PM EDT. Still pretty broad rotation. | The storm is just north of Burnettsville, IN as shown by reflectivity and velocity around 3:45 PM EDT. |
Storm Reports
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 1036 PM EDT SUN JUL 23 2017/UPDATED AT 2:50 PM EDT MON JUL 24TH ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0755 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 W RIPLEY 41.10N 86.68W 07/23/2017 PULASKI IN FIRE DEPT/RESCUE TREE LIMB DOWN CAUSING UTILITY LINES TO FALL AND LINES TO START SMOKING. 0735 PM TSTM WND GST 2 ESE BREMS 41.33N 86.66W 07/23/2017 M41 MPH STARKE IN AWOS AWOS STATION OXI, 2 ESE BREMS. 0706 PM TSTM WND GST WANATAH 41.43N 86.89W 07/23/2017 E45 MPH LA PORTE IN PUBLIC ALSO HAD PEA SIZED HAIL. 0550 PM TSTM WND DMG DESHLER 41.21N 83.90W 07/23/2017 HENRY OH EMERGENCY MNGR A TREE FELL, BROKE OFF THE GAS METER/LINE CAUSING A LEAK. 0530 PM HAIL 4 NNE FORT WAYNE 41.12N 85.11W 07/23/2017 E0.50 INCH ALLEN IN PUBLIC 0520 PM TSTM WND DMG NAPOLEON 41.40N 84.13W 07/23/2017 HENRY OH TRAINED SPOTTER ROOF FASCIA RIPPED OFF AND OTHER SHINGLES OFF STORE FRONT ROOF. ROOF WAS PARTIALLY DAMAGED. 0520 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 SSE NAPOLEON 41.38N 84.12W 07/23/2017 HENRY OH TRAINED SPOTTER 8" LIMBS RIPPED OFF LIVE TREES. 0520 PM TSTM WND DMG NAPOLEON 41.40N 84.13W 07/23/2017 HENRY OH PUBLIC STORE WITHIN A STRIP MALL HAD THEIR ICE FREEZER TIP OVER. WAS ALSO HOLDING SLIDING DOORS SHUT. THEY WERE BENT OUT 3 TO 4". ALSO HAD A SHORT TIME OF AN ESTIMATED QUARTER SIZED HAIL. 0520 PM TSTM WND GST 3 S WALLEN 41.12N 85.16W 07/23/2017 M44 MPH ALLEN IN MESONET MESONET STATION IN003, 2 S WALLEN. 0516 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 WSW LEO-CEDARVILLE 41.20N 85.06W 07/23/2017 E1.00 INCH ALLEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER ALSO HAD PEA SIZED HAIL. 0510 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SE HUNTERTOWN 41.20N 85.11W 07/23/2017 ALLEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER DELAYED REPORT. TWO HEALTHY TREES SNAPPED IN HALF-A PEAR TREE AND A MAPLE TREE. ESTIMATED DIAMETER OF TREES WAS 1-2 FEET. 0455 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 ESE HUNTERTOWN 41.21N 85.12W 07/23/2017 E0.90 INCH ALLEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER THE RAINFALL OCCURRED IN ONLY 15 MINS. ALSO HAD PEA SIZED HAIL AND ESTIMATED 50 MPH WIND GUST. 0435 PM TSTM WND GST 3 E SAINT JOHNS 41.31N 85.06W 07/23/2017 M38 MPH DE KALB IN AWOS AWOS STATION GWB, 3 E SAINT JOHNS. 0404 PM HAIL CLYMERS 40.71N 86.45W 07/23/2017 M0.25 INCH CASS IN EMERGENCY MNGR ALSO ESTIMATED 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS. 0355 PM TSTM WND GST FULTON 40.95N 86.26W 07/23/2017 M50 MPH FULTON IN TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED WITH AN ANEMOMETER. ALSO HAD PEA SIZED HAIL. 0348 PM TSTM WND DMG LAKE CICOTT 40.76N 86.52W 07/23/2017 CASS IN EMERGENCY MNGR DELAYED REPORT. TREE DOWN ALONG US 24. NO INFORMATION ON SIZE/HEALTH OF THE TREE. 0343 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NNE IDAVILLE 40.81N 86.63W 07/23/2017 WHITE IN EMERGENCY MNGR SEVERAL POWER LINES DOWNED AND TREES UPROOTED ALONG N 1250 E. 0340 PM TORNADO 3 SSW BELL CENTER 40.82N 86.65W 07/23/2017 WHITE IN EMERGENCY MNGR DELAYED REPORT. TREES DOWNED ALONG E 475 N. THE NORTH WALL OF A GARAGE WAS BLOWN OUT, AND ROOF SHINGLES WERE REMOVED. 0340 PM TORNADO 3 S BELL CENTER 40.82N 86.65W 07/23/2017 WHITE IN EMERGENCY MNGR DELAYED REPORT. A BOAT PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF A HOUSE ON 1150 E WAS MOVED SEVERAL YARDS INTO A PINE TREE, KNOCKING IT DOWN. NO SIZE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOAT AVAILABLE. HOUSE HAD ROOF DAMAGE. OBSERVED DEBRIS FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. 0340 PM TORNADO 3 S BELL CENTER 40.82N 86.65W 07/23/2017 WHITE IN EMERGENCY MNGR UPDATED REPORT: ROOF ON A ONE STORY HOUSE ON 1150 E WAS SHIFTED SIDEWAYS. SEVERAL TREES DOWNED, ONE SNAPPED IN HALF. TREE DIAMETERS RANGED FROM 1 TO 3 FEET AND APPEAR TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH. 0339 PM TORNADO 4 E SITKA 40.82N 86.67W 07/23/2017 WHITE IN EMERGENCY MNGR POLE DOWN. && $$ MCD
Rain Reports
Public Information Statement National Weather Service Northern Indiana 1046 PM EDT Sun Jul 23 2017 ...Rainfall Reports... Location Amount Time/Date Lat/Lon ...Indiana... ...Adams County... Linn Grove 0.38 in 0945 PM 07/23 40.66N/85.03W ...Allen County... 3 WSW Leo-Cedarville 1.00 in 0516 PM 07/23 41.20N/85.06W 3 ESE Huntertown 0.90 in 0455 PM 07/23 41.21N/85.12W 4 N New Haven 0.52 in 1030 PM 07/23 41.13N/85.03W ...Elkhart County... Goshen 3sw 0.15 in 0700 PM 07/23 41.56N/85.88W ...Starke County... 3 N Brems 0.26 in 1000 PM 07/23 41.39N/86.71W ...Wabash County... 2 ESE Somerset 0.36 in 1033 PM 07/23 40.66N/85.79W Somerset 0.23 in 1035 PM 07/23 40.66N/85.81W ...White County... 1 WNW Indiana Beach 0.99 in 1025 PM 07/23 40.80N/86.79W Norway 0.41 in 0945 PM 07/23 40.78N/86.76W ...Ohio... ...Defiance County... Defiance Memorial Airport 0.25 in 0753 PM 07/23 41.34N/84.43W ...Fulton County... 1 NE Tedrow 0.31 in 1031 PM 07/23 41.62N/84.19W ...Putnam County... Kalida 0.43 in 1027 PM 07/23 40.98N/84.20W 1 W Kalida 0.26 in 0930 PM 07/23 40.99N/84.23W Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Environment
Most thunderstorms need a source of lift, moisture, instability, and wind shear. This section will detail the what was apparent with this event.
Sources of Lift (weather pattern/boundaries) and Wind Shear
Figure 1: Vorticity or forcing mechanisms in the mid levels of the atmosphere. Wind flows from west to east in this image so out in front of the X's displayed in this map show where lifting is expected. Generally indicated by blue contours (3PM) | Figure 2: Surface mixing ratio at 4PM. This is a measure of surface moisture change over 3 hrs. Notice how the drier air mass is behind the storms. Sometimes drier air, because it's heavier than moist air, can force storms along. | Figure 3: Effective shear (3PM) across Northern Indiana shows the potential for some turning in the atmosphere with values over 30 kts. |
Moisture/Instability
Figure 4: Elevation where condensation occurs as of 3PM. (LCL) When this value is less than 1000m and when combined with shear and instability parameters, there is a greater for tornadoes than if it is higher than 1000m above the ground level. | Figure 5: The rate of change of temperature between heights in the mid levels of the atmosphere (ML Lapse Rates) at 3PM. When this value, which indicates instability, is greater than 6 C/km, it can help to keep storms going. | Figure 6: Instability in the lower levels of the atmosphere (0-3km MLCAPE) at 3PM. When this value is greater than 75 or 100 J/kg enough instability exists for severe weather. |
Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |