Above is a photo I took of the storm cell that prompted the National Weather Service to issue a tornado warning for northern Allen County, Indiana June 12, 2013. I never saw any rotation in the storm, which I reported via ham radio, as did many other ham radio-equipped trained SKYWARN spotters in the area.
The National Weather Service (NWS) northern Indiana office published this morning a preliminary summary of “local storm reports” from yesterday’s storms. Local storm reports include reports of funnel clouds, hail, wind damage, etc. Below are a few highlights (sorry about the capital letters — that’s how NWS publishes them and I don’t have time to change them). As you can see, the 37 counties covered by the northern Indiana office can be thankful that they escaped the kind of widespread damage seen in the June 29, 2012 storms.
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 PM HAIL 9 W WINAMAC 41.05N 86.78W
06/12/2013 E1.75 INCH PULASKI IN PUBLIC
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT RT 39 AND RT 14 IN PULASKI COUNTY
0730 PM FUNNEL CLOUD CULVER 41.22N 86.42W
06/12/2013 MARSHALL IN EMERGENCY MNGR
0737 PM HAIL WINAMAC 41.05N 86.60W
06/12/2013 E1.75 INCH PULASKI IN EMERGENCY MNGR
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR WINAMAC
0738 PM HAIL WINAMAC 41.05N 86.60W
06/12/2013 M1.75 INCH PULASKI IN TRAINED SPOTTER
GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL LASTED FOR 2 MIN. MINOR DAMAGE TO
VEHICLES
0825 PM FUNNEL CLOUD CHURUBUSCO 41.23N 85.32W
06/12/2013 WHITLEY IN TRAINED SPOTTER
ROTATING WALL CLOUD WITH FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR CHURBUSCO
0847 PM TSTM WND GST 2 SW KINGSBURY 41.50N 86.73W
06/12/2013 M60 MPH LA PORTE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
60MPH WIND GUST NEAR 39 AND HWY 6
0930 PM TSTM WND DMG TWELVE MILE 40.87N 86.23W
06/12/2013 CASS IN EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE BRANCH FELL ON AND INTO HOUSE
1010 PM TSTM WND GST WOLCOTT 40.76N 87.04W
06/12/2013 M65 MPH WHITE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
MEASURED 65MPH GUST... ESTIMATED 45MPH SUSTAINED FOR 15
MIN
1010 PM HEAVY RAIN HUNTERTOWN 41.23N 85.17W
06/12/2013 M1.15 INCH ALLEN IN COCORAHS
1.15 INCHES OF RAIN IN PAST 20 MINUTES
1030 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 E ROCHESTER 41.06N 86.12W
06/12/2013 FULTON IN PUBLIC
ESTIMATED THREE FOOT DIAMETER TREE BRANCH FELL ONTO
ROOF OF HOME. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1030 PM TSTM WND DMG COLUMBIA CITY 41.16N 85.49W
06/12/2013 WHITLEY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY
1040 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 E ROCHESTER 41.06N 86.12W
06/12/2013 FULTON IN PUBLIC
3 FT DIAMETER TREE BRANCH FELL ON HOUSE
1046 PM TSTM WND GST 3 SE ONWARD 40.66N 86.15W
06/12/2013 E80 MPH MIAMI IN TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER ESTIMATES 70 TO 80MPH GUST NEAR CASS
MIAMI COUNTY BORDERS NEAR GRISSOM AFB
1047 PM TSTM WND DMG WABASH 40.80N 85.82W
06/12/2013 WABASH IN PUBLIC
SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF WABASH.
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
1059 PM TSTM WND DMG MACY 40.96N 86.13W
06/12/2013 MIAMI IN EMERGENCY MNGR
LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MANY POWERLINES DOWN IN AREA OF
500 AND 600 N
1059 PM TSTM WND DMG DENVER 40.87N 86.08W
06/12/2013 MIAMI IN EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREE BLOCKING SR 19 NEAR 500 N...BROUGHT DOWN
POWERLINES...SR 19 CLOSED AT THIS TIME
1100 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 E CHILI 40.85N 85.97W
06/12/2013 MIAMI IN TRAINED SPOTTER
DAMAGE ALONG E 600 N EAST OF PAW PAW PIKE. LARGE WALNUT
TREE UPROOTED. ROOF OFF HOUSE. HOG BARN PARTIALLY
DESTOYED.
1102 PM TSTM WND GST 1 WSW BLUFFTON 40.73N 85.19W
06/12/2013 E60 MPH WELLS IN TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREE DOWN ON THE WEST SIDE OF BLUFFTON.
1114 PM TSTM WND GST NW MARION 40.56N 85.66W
06/12/2013 M65 MPH GRANT IN TRAINED SPOTTER
MEARSURED GUST AT 300W AND 300N GRANT COUNTY
1114 PM TSTM WND DMG HUNTINGTON 40.88N 85.50W
06/12/2013 HUNTINGTON IN EMERGENCY MNGR
NUMEROUS TREE DOWN THROUGHOUT HUNTINGTON
1117 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 W WARREN 40.68N 85.50W
06/12/2013 HUNTINGTON IN EMERGENCY MNGR
OVERTURNED SEMI ON I-69 MILEMARKER 274
1125 PM FLOOD 5 N COLUMBIA CITY 41.23N 85.49W
06/12/2013 WHITLEY IN AMATEUR RADIO
FLOODED ROADS 500N EAST OF 109...1FT OF WATER ON GROUND
100FT WIDE
1149 PM TSTM WND DMG CONTINENTAL 41.10N 84.27W
06/12/2013 PUTNAM OH EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AROUND CONTINENTAL TIME
EST FROM RADAR
1155 PM TSTM WND DMG HAMLER 41.23N 84.03W
06/12/2013 HENRY OH TRAINED SPOTTER
38MPH SUSTAINED FOR 10 MIN WITH STRONGER GUSTS..SEVERAL
2 AND 4 INCH BRANCHES DOWN..SOME BRANCHES UP TO 15 FEET
IN LENGTH..SHEET METAL REMOVED FROM BUILDING
1158 PM TSTM WND DMG HAMLER 41.23N 84.03W
06/12/2013 HENRY OH EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN EVERYWHERE ACROSS HAMLER
1200 AM TSTM WND DMG HAMLER 41.23N 84.03W
06/13/2013 HENRY OH EMERGENCY MNGR
45FT SPRUCE UPROOTED 2FT TRUNK..MINOR ROOF DAMAGE..TOP
OF MAPLE TREE TAKEN OFF
1200 AM TSTM WND DMG 5 W HAMLER 41.23N 84.13W
06/13/2013 HENRY OH EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN ON HENRY COUNTY ROAD 3 BETWEEN COUNTY ROADS
G AND H
1215 AM TSTM WND DMG HAMLER 41.23N 84.03W
06/13/2013 HENRY OH EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREES DOWN AND POSSIBLE STRUCTURAL CO RD F
BETWEEN 10 AND 109
Particularly dangerous situation (PDS) severe thunderstorm watches are very rare, so there’s a good chance you’ve never heard one before today. Want to know more about PDS watches? There’s a good article on Wikipedia.
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 300
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
400 PM CDT WED JUN 12 2013
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
NORTHERN INDIANA
SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN
NORTHWEST OHIO
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
LAKE ERIE
LAKE MICHIGAN
* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY MORNING FROM
400 PM UNTIL 100 AM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
NUMEROUS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH LIKELY
SEVERAL VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
A FEW TORNADOES POSSIBLE
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 70
STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST OF FINDLAY
OHIO TO 60 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF RACINE WISCONSIN. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center plans to issue a “particularly dangerous situation (PDS) severe thunderstorm watch” for the northern third of Indiana by 6 p.m. EDT, according to a mesoscale discussion the SPC issued at 4:38 p.m. EDT.
The SPC issues PDS severe thunderstorm watches when there is a threat of a high-end “derecho” with widespread wind damage.
According to the mesoscale discussion, thunderstorms developing across northeastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois will congeal into an accelerating convective system and move east-southeastward across northern Indiana during the late afternoon and evening hours. Damaging winds, some in excess of 65 knots, (74.8 mph) are likely, along with embedded tornadoes.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued an updated Day One Convective Outlook at 4 p.m. EDT. The updated outlook continues to indicate a high risk for severe weather in the northern third of Indiana between 3 p.m. today and 8 a.m. tomorrow.
In the 4 p.m. update, SPC wrote that the threat for a significant, widespread damaging wind event still appeared to be on track from southern portions of the Great Lakes into the Ohio Valley region. Storms were in the process of developing from northeastern Iowa into southern Wisconsin. These initial storms might organize as discrete supercells with an initial tornado threat. Storms should eventually consolidate and transition to an organized complex of thunderstorms (mesoscale convective system), with an increasing threat of significant wind damage as it moves east-southeastward through the southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley during the evening and overnight.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
From tweets sent at around 1 p.m. EDT by the National Weather Service northern Indiana weather forecast office (@nwxiwx):
Storms are expected to fire across the area around the 4-6 PM EDT timeframe. Line/bow echo expected to develop across Nrn. IL this eve…
Line/bow xpctd to race from IL/IN border to IN/OH border from 7 PM to 11 PM EDT timeframe. Wind gusts over 75 mph possible with the line.
Storms early will produce large hail 2″ or more possible, main threat becomes wind damage with the line/bow.
Tornadoes also possible along the warm front and at the northern end of the line/bow. Flash flooding possible as well along the warm front.
Please be prepared for large hail, extreme damaging winds and possible tornadoes late this afternoon into tonight! Stay tuned for updates.
 |
| Probability of damaging thunderstorm winds or wind gusts of 50 knots or higher within 25 miles of a point. Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of wind gusts 65 knots or greater within 25 miles of a point. (More Info) |
In all my years of volunteering as a SKYWARN storm spotter (since the 1970s), I’ve vary rarely seen a convective outlook that indicated a high risk of severe weather in the Fort Wayne area. I don’t remember how many times I’ve seen it, but I’m fairly sure it’s been fewer than five. Suffice to say it’s very unusual in our area and when it happens, we should pay very close attention to the weather. Well, it happened this afternoon.
At 12:26 p.m. EDT, the Storm Prediction Center issued and updated Day 1 Convective Outlook that indicates a high risk of severe weather between 12:30 p.m. today and 8 a.m. tomorrow. The high risk area includes approximately the northern third of Indiana (including Fort Wayne), the northern fourth of Illinois and slivers of southern Michigan and northwestern Ohio. For IMO SKYWARN members, the high risk area includes almost all of quadrants one and two and all of quadrants three and four.
The main reason for the increase to high risk is the increase in the probability of damaging thunderstorm winds or wind gusts of 50 knots (57.5 mph) or higher within 25 miles of a point. That risk has increased from 45 percent to 60 percent in the high risk area (see the map above).
There’s very little uncertainty that severe weather will occur, that SKYWARN spotters will need to activate and that the general public should be prepared for very damaging thunderstorms. Be ready to receive and respond to watches and warnings as they are issued later.
The flash flood watch below covers all 37 counties of the IMO SKYWARN area.
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1202 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT...
.ONE OR MORE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. MANY OF
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS...WITH RATES
OF 1 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR POSSIBLE. GIVEN MOIST GROUND CONDITIONS
IN MANY AREAS...THE RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE
DRAMATICALLY TONIGHT. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO LOCALLY AS
MUCH AS 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-
005-015-016-024-025-130015-
/O.NEW.KIWX.FF.A.0001.130612T2200Z-130613T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-
STARKE-PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-
WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-
JAY-BERRIEN-CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-
FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND...
MISHAWAKA...NEW CARLISLE...WALKERTON...ELKHART...GOSHEN...
NAPPANEE...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...SHIPSHEWANA...ANGOLA...FREMONT...
KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...ALBION...AUBURN...GARRETT...KNOX...
NORTH JUDSON...BASS LAKE...WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...MEDARYVILLE...
PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...CULVER...ROCHESTER...AKRON...WARSAW...
WINONA LAKE...SYRACUSE...MENTONE...COLUMBIA CITY...TRI-LAKES...
SOUTH WHITLEY...FORT WAYNE...NEW HAVEN...MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...
MONON...LOGANSPORT...ROYAL CENTER...PERU...GRISSOM AFB...MEXICO...
WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...ROANOKE...BLUFFTON...
OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...GAS CITY...UPLAND...
HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...DUNKIRK...NILES...
BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...
MARCELLUS...STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...WHITE PIGEON...MENDON...
COLDWATER...BRONSON...HILLSDALE...LITCHFIELD...JONESVILLE...
BRYAN...WAUSEON...ARCHBOLD...FAYETTE...SWANTON...DEFIANCE...
SHERWOOD...HICKSVILLE...NAPOLEON...DESHLER...LIBERTY CENTER...
PAULDING...ANTWERP...MELROSE...OTTAWA...PANDORA...KALIDA...
FORT JENNINGS...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...OHIO CITY...LIMA...
SPENCERVILLE
1202 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013 /1102 AM CDT WED JUN 12 2013/
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM EDT /5 PM CDT/ THIS
EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA...SOUTHWEST
MICHIGAN AND NORTHWEST OHIO...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...
IN NORTHERN INDIANA...ADAMS...ALLEN IN...BLACKFORD...CASS IN...
DE KALB...ELKHART...FULTON IN...GRANT...HUNTINGTON...JAY...
KOSCIUSKO...LA PORTE...LAGRANGE...MARSHALL...MIAMI...NOBLE...
PULASKI...ST. JOSEPH IN...STARKE...STEUBEN...WABASH...WELLS...
WHITE AND WHITLEY. IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN...BERRIEN...BRANCH...
CASS MI...HILLSDALE AND ST. JOSEPH MI. IN NORTHWEST OHIO...
ALLEN OH...DEFIANCE...FULTON OH...HENRY...PAULDING...PUTNAM...
VAN WERT AND WILLIAMS.
* FROM 6 PM EDT /5 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
* RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH MANY OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TOTAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 5 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS. A COMBINATION OF WET GROUND
CONDITIONS AND THE RAPID RAINFALL RATES WILL INCREASE THE THREAT
FOR FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE AREA...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE
THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.
* WHILE MANY RIVERS WILL RESPOND AND BEGIN TO RISE OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS FROM THE RAINFALL...SMALLER RIVERS AND CREEKS COULD
RAPIDLY FLOOD AND CAUSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF
YOU ENCOUNTER WATER...TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.