Storm Prediction Center Issues Two Watches Near Indianapolis — Tornado Indianapolis

The Storm Prediction Center issued two tornado watches Thursday night across Indiana, and tornado indianapolis was not included. One watch covered parts of central Indiana and much of the north until 2 a.m. Friday, while the earlier watch had already covered five northwest counties through 10 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. CDT.

Boone County and the north

At 8:05 p.m. Thursday, the Storm Prediction Center issued the later watch for parts of central Indiana, much of northern Indiana and 10 Illinois counties. Indiana cities in that area included Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Kokomo, Lafayette, Logansport, Marion and South Bend.

The watch area also included Adams, Allen, Blackford, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, DeKalb, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Grant, Howard, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Noble, Parke, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Tipton, Vermillion, Wabash, Warren, Wells, White and Whitley counties. Boone County, northwest of Indianapolis, was part of the watch area, but Indianapolis and Marion County were not.

Earlier watch before nightfall

At 1:55 p.m. Thursday, the Storm Prediction Center issued a separate tornado watch until 10 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. CDT for Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties. Dozens of Illinois counties were also included in that watch.

News 8 said a big line of strong-to-severe storms would move across central Indiana sometime between 10 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday. The primary threats were damaging wind gusts, possible spin-up tornadoes and hail, with heavy rain that may lead to flooding again in some areas.

Thursday night forecast

By sunrise Friday, temperatures should be mainly in the 60s. For people in the watch areas, the immediate step was to stay aware through the overnight period, especially where the watches covered counties near Indianapolis but stopped short of the city and Marion County.