November 17, 2013 Severe Weather and Tornado Outbreak

Severe Weather and Tornado Outbreak of November 17, 2013

A large outbreak of severe weather took place on November 17, 2013. In Indiana alone there were 30 tornadoes, with dozens more in other states. In central Indiana the strongest tornado was rated an EF-3. There were 8 EF-2 tornadoes, 6 EF-1 tornadoes, and 1 EF-0 tornado in central Indiana. This number of tornadoes for the entire state is the largest outbreak for November in recorded history for Indiana, and the second largest outbreak in state history for any month (June 2, 1990 is first with 37 tornadoes).

 
Plot of Tornado Tracks across Central Indiana - Click the image to Enlarge.

 
Quick Links

Below is a list of tornadoes that impacted central Indiana on November 17, 2013. The link with each tornado will take you to a page with a track, tornado information, and radar data for that tornado. For a summary of all basic information for each tornado in one file, please view this pdf file.

 Environment

A potent weather system moved into the Ohio Valley during the afternoon of November 17, 2013. The setup became ideal for severe weather, including multiple tornadoes. Click any image below for a larger version.

The above is a map of jet stream wind speeds (color background) and streamlines showing direction of flow. Warmer colors equals higher speeds. A strong jet stream was approaching central Indiana during the afternoon of November 17.	An upper trough was approaching the area as well. The above is 500 mb heights valid at 3:00 PM.
Not far off the surface, strong winds were flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico. Above is a map of wind speeds at 500 meters above ground (approximately 1600ft). The colors indicate wind speed, with warmer colors indicating faster speeds. Speeds over Indiana at 3:00 PM were over 50 mph. The arrows indicate the wind flow.	At the surface, a cold front was approaching from the west. Plenty of moisture was available, especially for mid-November, with surface dewpoints in the upper 50s and lower 60s. The above plot shows for 3:00 PM: sea level pressure contours, surface observations. The colors represent dewpoint, with warmer colors indicating higher dewpoints.

The setup with the system provided the area with plenty of instability for thunderstorms to form on. Above is a map of instability (Mixed Layer CAPE) valid at 3:00 PM. Areas outlined in red are unstable.	The turning of the winds with height set up by the approaching upper trough and winds ahead of the surface cold front set the stage for the potential for tornadoes. The above plot is for Effective Storm Relative Helicity valid at 3:00 PM. The numbers across central Indiana were extremely high for November.

As a result of this setup, numerous thunderstorms developed across Illinois and quickly became severe. These storms produced numerous tornadoes across Illinois. The strong winds aloft caused the storms to move quickly into Indiana, where additional tornadoes and severe thunderstorms developed. 

Below are some radar images from the Indianapolis radar during the event. Click any image to enlarge.

Radar Image from 2:00 PM EST	Radar Image from 3:00 PM EST	Radar Image from 4:00 PM EST

Selected Radar Images from Tornadoes. Additional radar images can be found on the individual tornado pages.

Mellott in Fountain County

Radar image from 2:39 PM EST centered near Mellott.	Storm Relative Motion image from 2:39 PM for the same area. Radar is off to the south east of this location. Green/Blue indicate winds toward the radar while reds indicate winds away from the radar.

Kokomo in Howard County

Radar image from 3:31 PM EST centered near Kokomo.	Storm Relative Motion image from 3:31 PM for the same area. Radar is off to the south of this location. Green indicates winds toward the radar while reds/oranges indicate winds away from the radar.

Lebanon in Boone County 

Radar image from 3:41 PM EST centered near Lebanon.	Storm Relative Motion image from 3:41 PM for the same area. Radar is off to the south east of this location. Green indicates winds toward the radar while Red/Orange indicate winds away from the radar.

Local Storm Reports

Map of Midwest Preliminary Storm Reports. Click to enlarge.
 Image courtesy of WFO Lincoln, IL.

Below is a list of preliminary storm reports received during the event.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
642 AM EST MON NOV 18 2013

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

0233 PM     TSTM WND GST     COVINGTON               40.14N  87.39W
11/17/2013  E55 MPH          FOUNTAIN           IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWER LINES ARE DOWN. POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES.

0233 PM     HAIL             COVINGTON               40.14N  87.39W
11/17/2013  E0.25 INCH       FOUNTAIN           IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

0233 PM     TORNADO          PERRYSVILLE             40.05N  87.44W
11/17/2013                   VERMILLION         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO REPORTED AT I-74 AND IN 63. TREE LIMBS DOWN.

0245 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 E VEEDERSBURG         40.11N  87.20W
11/17/2013  U0 MPH           FOUNTAIN           IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SEMI BLOWN OVER ON I-74 MILE MARKER 17

0247 PM     TORNADO          8 S LAFAYETTE           40.30N  86.87W
11/17/2013                   TIPPECANOE         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES AND POWER POLES SNAPPED. SEVERAL STRUCTURES
            PARTIALLY OR TOTALLY DESTROYED. TIME ESTIMATED.

0249 PM     TSTM WND GST     DAYTON                  40.38N  86.78W
11/17/2013  M82 MPH          TIPPECANOE         IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            NO DAMAGE REPORTED

0300 PM     TSTM WND GST     LAFAYETTE               40.41N  86.87W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          TIPPECANOE         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            US 231 AND SR 26

0300 PM     TSTM WND DMG     RUSSIAVILLE             40.42N  86.27W
11/17/2013                   HOWARD             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            480 W AND SR 26 - ROOF OFF HOUSE

0300 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 NW DECKER             38.56N  87.58W
11/17/2013                   KNOX               IN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            REPORT OF BARN PARTIALLY DESTROYED NEAR 1000 W CHIMNEY
            PIER ROAD. TIME WAS ESTIMATED.

0303 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     ROCKVILLE               39.77N  87.23W
11/17/2013                   PARKE              IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED

0305 PM     TORNADO          VINCENNES               38.68N  87.51W
11/17/2013                   KNOX               IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TORNADO ON THE GROUND BETWEEN VINCENNES AND DECKER. NO
            DAMAGE REPORTED.

0307 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 N WEST LAFAYETTE      40.47N  86.91W
11/17/2013                   TIPPECANOE         IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            US 29 AND MANCHESTER ROAD - BARN DAMAGED... TREES DOWN

0309 PM     TORNADO          13 NW LAFAYETTE         40.54N  87.05W
11/17/2013                   TIPPECANOE         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POSSIBLE RAIN WRAPPED TORNADO. SHEET METAL CAUGHT IN A
            FENCE. NEAREST BUILDINGS ACROSS A FIELD A FEW ACRES
            AWAY.

0309 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LEBANON                 40.05N  86.47W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            I-65 MILE MARKER 60 - OVERTURNED SEMI

0310 PM     TORNADO          ROSSVILLE               40.42N  86.60W
11/17/2013                   CLINTON            IN   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            TORNADO REPORTED AT CR5 1000 W AND 713 N

0310 PM     TSTM WND GST     COLFAX                  40.19N  86.67W
11/17/2013  E65 MPH          CLINTON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            ROBOY RD AND LINDON ROAD. NO DAMAGE REPROTED.

0315 PM     TORNADO          S VINCENNES             38.68N  87.51W
11/17/2013                   KNOX               IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HOUSE DAMAGED ON ST THOMAS ROAD

0315 PM     TSTM WND GST     BURLINGTON              40.48N  86.39W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          CARROLL            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            NO DAMAGE REPORTED

0315 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WASHINGTON              38.66N  87.17W
11/17/2013                   DAVIESS            IN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            OLD US 50 ON WEST SIDE OF WASHINGTON. EITCINES FARMERS
            MARKET DESTROYED. MULTIPLE TREES DOWN

0319 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BURLINGTON              40.48N  86.39W
11/17/2013                   CARROLL            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            2 FOOT TREES UPROOTED.

0319 PM     TSTM WND DMG     DARLINGTON              40.11N  86.78W
11/17/2013                   MONTGOMERY         IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            TELEPHONE POLES DOWN AT 1350 E AND 850 W

0320 PM     TORNADO          RUSSIAVILLE             40.42N  86.27W
11/17/2013                   HOWARD             IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TORNADO ON THE GROUND AT 13172 E CR 500 N. HEADING NE
            TO RUSSIAVILLE.

0320 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SE DELPHI             40.54N  86.62W
11/17/2013                   CARROLL            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES... POWER LINES AND SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
            OBSERVED

0325 PM     TORNADO          WASHINGTON              38.66N  87.17W
11/17/2013                   DAVIESS            IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO ON THE GROUND SEVERAL HOUSES DAMAGED

0325 PM     TORNADO          4 SE DELPHI             40.54N  86.62W
11/17/2013                   CARROLL            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THREE HOMES REPORTEDLY HIT BY TORNADO

0330 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 E JAMESTOWN           39.93N  86.55W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREE LIMBS DOWN ON SR 136

0331 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 N KOKOMO              40.55N  86.13W
11/17/2013                   HOWARD             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            US 31 AND 600 N - SNAPPED TREES

0336 PM     TSTM WND GST     NEW ROSS                39.96N  86.71W
11/17/2013  M60 MPH          MONTGOMERY         IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            SR 136

0337 PM     TSTM WND GST     THORNTOWN               40.13N  86.61W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          BOONE              IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NO DAMAGE REPORTED

0340 PM     TORNADO          LEBANON                 40.05N  86.47W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            CARS OVERTURNED AND SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NEAR US 52
            AND I65

0340 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 E KOKOMO              40.48N  86.04W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          HOWARD             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0341 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 E ADVANCE             40.00N  86.60W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SPOTTER SAW ROTATION BUT NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING ON THE
            GROUND.

0341 PM     TORNADO          1 SSW LEBANON           40.04N  86.48W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   NEWSPAPER

            *** 2 INJ *** TWO INDIVIDUAL SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES
            WHEN THEIR SEMI FLIPPED AT THE FLYING J PLAZA AT THE
            INTERSTATE 65 STATE ROUTE 39 INTERCHANGE.

0344 PM     TORNADO          SHOALS                  38.67N  86.79W
11/17/2013                   MARTIN             IN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTED 9 MILES EAST OF SHOALS

0344 PM     TORNADO          LEBANON                 40.05N  86.47W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0350 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 N LEBANON             40.12N  86.47W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            2 FOOT TREES DOWN AT 200 E AND 500 N

0352 PM     TORNADO          2 SW LEBANON            40.03N  86.50W
11/17/2013                   BOONE              IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TONADO ON THE GROUND TO THE NE

0353 PM     TSTM WND GST     INDIANAPOLIS INT`L AIRP 39.72N  86.29W
11/17/2013  M65 MPH          MARION             IN   AIRPORT OPS

            WIND GUST MEASURED BY ASOS.

0355 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KOKOMO                  40.48N  86.13W
11/17/2013                   HOWARD             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            SEVERAL HOMES DESTROYED. JC PENNY WINDOWS BLOWN OUT.

0356 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     4 SW BEDFORD            38.82N  86.54W
11/17/2013                   LAWRENCE           IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            SR 37 AND US 50

0410 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 W NOBLESVILLE         40.06N  86.05W
11/17/2013                   HAMILTON           IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0410 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  INDIANAPOLIS            39.78N  86.15W
11/17/2013  M65 MPH          MARION             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0410 PM     HAIL             INDIANAPOLIS            39.78N  86.15W
11/17/2013  M0.75 INCH       MARION             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0411 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  JAMESTOWN               39.93N  86.63W
11/17/2013  M65 MPH          HENDRICKS          IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0411 PM     TSTM WND GST     MCCORDSVILLE            39.91N  85.93W
11/17/2013  E75 MPH          HANCOCK            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0413 PM     TSTM WND GST     ELWOOD                  40.28N  85.84W
11/17/2013  E40 MPH          MADISON            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0425 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     WESTFIELD               40.05N  86.13W
11/17/2013                   HAMILTON           IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0426 PM     TSTM WND GST     TIPTON                  40.28N  86.04W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          TIPTON             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0432 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 E TIPTON              40.28N  85.98W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          TIPTON             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            SR 213 AND SR 28

0438 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 SW BLOOMINGTON        39.12N  86.59W
11/17/2013  E80 MPH          MONROE             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0439 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     SEYMOUR                 38.96N  85.89W
11/17/2013                   JACKSON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            15TH ST AND HIGHWAY 11. NORTH OF SEYMOUR.

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 E INDIANAPOLIS        39.78N  86.07W
11/17/2013                   MARION             IN   BROADCAST MEDIA

            BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF WASHINGTON STREET AND RITTER
            AVENUE IN THE IRVINGTON AREA COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

0452 PM     HEAVY RAIN       WINDFALL                40.36N  85.96W
11/17/2013  M1.89 INCH       TIPTON             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0452 PM     HEAVY RAIN       SHARPSVILLE             40.38N  86.09W
11/17/2013  M1.40 INCH       TIPTON             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0454 PM     TSTM WND GST     7 NE NASHVILLE          39.28N  86.14W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          BROWN              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            LOCATION IS ESTIMATED

0454 PM     HAIL             7 NE NASHVILLE          39.28N  86.14W
11/17/2013  E0.88 INCH       BROWN              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            LOCATION IS ESTIMATED

0456 PM     TORNADO          2 NE ATLANTA            40.24N  86.00W
11/17/2013                   TIPTON             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HOUSE REPORTEDLY HIT BY TORNADO

0456 PM     TSTM WND GST     11 NE NASHVILLE         39.32N  86.09W
11/17/2013  E60 MPH          BROWN              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0456 PM     HAIL             11 NE NASHVILLE         39.32N  86.09W
11/17/2013  E0.25 INCH       BROWN              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     INDIANAPOLIS            39.78N  86.15W
11/17/2013                   MARION             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            1 FOOT DIAMETER TREE DOWN

0513 PM     TSTM WND GST     KENNARD                 39.90N  85.52W
11/17/2013  M60 MPH          HENRY              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            SR 109 AND SHIRLEY RD

0523 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SULPHUR SPRINGS         40.01N  85.44W
11/17/2013                   HENRY              IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            30 INCH TREE ON A CAR AT SR 36 AND RAIDER ROAD

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WESTPORT                39.18N  85.58W
11/17/2013                   DECATUR            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            MULTIPLE TREES DOWN

0545 PM     TSTM WND DMG     10 SW BROWNSTOWN        38.78N  86.18W
11/17/2013                   JACKSON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            FLAG POLES DOWN. 4 INCH TREES DOWN. SHINGLES OFF ROOF.

0555 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CLARKSBURG              39.43N  85.35W
11/17/2013                   DECATUR            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            POWER LINES DOWN

0557 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SEYMOUR                 38.96N  85.89W
11/17/2013                   JACKSON            IN   AMATEUR RADIO

            3 FOOT HEALTHY TREE DAMAGE AT 900 E AND 300 N

24 hour rainfall total ending morning of November 17. Overnight showers and thunderstorms brought locally heavy rain to the area. Click to enlarge.	24 hour rainfall total ending morning of November 18. Click to enlarge.
2 day rainfall map November 16-17 for the region.  Click to enlarge.

Forecast Service

Storm Prediction Center Outlooks:

Day 4 Outlook, issued November 14	Day 3 Outlook, issued November 15
Day 2 Outlook, issued November 16	Day 1 Outlook, issued November 17

Warnings Issued across the USA:

Other Areas Impacted

Click a link to view information about the outbreak from surrounding National Weather Service Forecast Offices (Please note that some links are currently unavailable)

• Northwest Indiana and Northern Illinois: NWS Chicago
• Northern Indiana, Northwest Ohio, and Lower Michigan: NWS Northern Indiana
• East Central Indiana and Western Ohio: NWS Wilmington Ohio
• Southwest Indiana and Western Kentucky: NWS Paducah
• Central Illinois: NWS Lincoln Illinois