Heavy Rain, Hail, and Tornado Risk for Indiana Tonight
STATEWIDE — Forecasters say storms moving across Indiana later Tuesday could bring hail, heavy rain, flooding, damaging winds, and a chance of isolated tornadoes. Parts of the state are already saturated from recent rain.
National Weather Service forecaster Mike Ryan said storms are expected to develop later in the day and move through the state into the evening.
“Even just one to two inches of rain is going to cause some problems with all the rain that we had last week,” Ryan said. “Any flooding that’s ongoing could be exacerbated or prolonged by what we see tonight.”
Southeastern parts of the state could see rain that worsens flooding, while northern areas face a higher chance of stronger storms.
The greatest severe storm risk Tuesday stretches from northeastern Indiana toward the Chicago area, including around Fort Wayne and areas to the northwest. Forecasters say storms there could develop during the evening.
Ryan said the timing matters.
“The threat there is greater because of the timeframe we’re looking at — late in the day and in the evening — as opposed to overnight,” he said.
Ryan said hail is one of the main concerns.
“The larger the hail size, the faster it’s going to fall,” he said. “Once you get above quarter-size hail, which is one-inch hail, you can start to see property damage and damage to vehicles.”
Ryan said the storms are also a reminder for people to review their severe weather plans.
“If you’re a school or a business, this is a great opportunity to talk about weather preparedness and put that plan into action,” he said.
He also encouraged people to check on friends or relatives who live in mobile homes and make sure they know where to go if warnings are issued.
“Think about where you need to go,” Ryan said. “If you have friends or family in a mobile home, talk with them about where they can go if there’s a threat for damaging winds or a tornado.”
Forecasters recommend monitoring forecasts and having more than one way to receive warnings as storms approach Tuesday evening.
