Overview
Thunderstorms developed along a boundary across central Indiana during the evening of July 29. The storms brought 2 tornadoes, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Heavy rain brought flash flooding to parts of southern Shelby County and northern Bartholomew County.
Tornadoes
Tornado - SE of Shelbyville
Shelby County
| Date |
7/29/21 |
| Time (Local) |
7:58 PM - 8:04 PM EDT |
| EF Rating |
EF-1 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
90 mph |
| Path Length |
2.5 miles |
| Max Width |
50 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0/0 |
|
Summary:
The first tornado of the day initially
began as a funnel cloud over Shelbyville
with roof damage to a building across the
southeast part of town. This funnel cloud
continued until it touched down northwest
of a small subdivision off of CR 250 E.
There it damaged numerous trees and damaged
support beams on a porch. A masonry wall was
also knocked down. The tornado continued to
the southeast where it caused tree damage to
a home on CR 350S. The most extensive tree
damage would occur along CR 375E near 500S
where two homes had widespread tree damage
along with an antenna pole that was
snapped. The tornado then lifted in a field
to the southeast. The damage path was not
always clear at all times, but it appears
that the tornado was either on the ground or
just off the ground through the duration.
A text summary of the tornado is available.
|
Track Map
 
|
 |
 |
 |
| Radar at 8:00 PM EDT |
Storm Relative Velocity at 8:00 PM EDT |
Path of Tornado in Field
(Image courtesy of Shelby Co. Emergency Management) |
|
Tornado - 2 South Waldron
Shelby County
| Date |
7/29/21 |
| Time (Local) |
8:14 PM - 8:15 PM EDT |
| EF Rating |
EF-1 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
90 mph |
| Path Length |
0.71 miles |
| Max Width |
50 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0/0 |
|
Summary:
This short lived tornado initially
touched down near a river cabin and
caused a narrow but intense swath of
tree damage along CR 500E. The
tornado then crossed the Flatrock River
where it impacted the Van Pelt cemetery.
Several grave stones were knocked over
by the tornado with additional tree
damage on the property. The tornado
may have briefly lifted before touching
down again in a field to the south.
A text summary of the tornado is available.
|
Track Map
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Radar at 8:13 PM EDT |
Storm Relative Velocity at 8:14 PM EDT |
Wind Damage and Path of Tornado in Field
(Image courtesy of Shelby Co. Emergency Management) |
Cemetery Headstones Moved in Different Directions by Tornado
(NWS Storm Survey) |
|
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 |
 |
Storm Reports
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0758 PM TORNADO 4 SE SHELBYVILLE 39.48N 85.73W
07/29/2021 SHELBY IN NWS STORM SURVEY
NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO
WITH MAX WIND SPEED OF 90 MPH AND A PATH
LENGTH OF 2.50 MILES. MAX WIDTH WAS 50
YARDS.
0814 PM TORNADO 2 S WALDRON 39.42N 85.67W
07/29/2021 SHELBY IN NWS STORM SURVEY
NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF1 TORNADO
WITH MAX WIND SPEED OF 90 MPH AND A PATH
LENGTH OF 0.71 MILES. THE MAX WIDTH WAS 50
YARDS.
1000 PM FLOOD GENEVA 39.39N 85.72W
07/29/2021 SHELBY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
FLOODED ROADS ARE BEING REPORTED IN NUMEROUS
LOCATIONS, REQUIRING ROAD SIGNS AND PEOPLE
TURNING AROUND TO FIND ANOTHER ROUTE. THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS SPECIFICALLY HAVE THESE
PROBLEMS...1100 S AND 300 E...1000 S AND 275
E...SR 9 AND SOUTH OF 252. WATER IS ON THE
ROADWAY BUT NOT PRESENTLY DEEP AT 350 EAST
SOUTH OF VANDALIA ROAD, AND 252 AND 25 W.
1100 PM FLASH FLOOD HOPE 39.30N 85.77W
07/29/2021 BARTHOLOMEW IN BROADCAST MEDIA
ROAD FROM HOPE TOWN SQUARE TO THE SHELBY
COUNTY LINE IS IMPASSABLE/WASHED OUT. AT
LEASE ONE WATER RESCUE WAS PERFORMED.
Environment
Thunderstorms developed along a surface boundary in an unstable environment with high moisture content. The boundary aided in the tornado development.
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| Figure 1: Surface Map at 8:00 PM EDT |
Figure 2: Mixed Layer CAPE at 8:00 PM EDT |
Figure 3: Effective Storm Relative Helicity at 8:00 PM EDT |
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| Figure 4: 0-3km CAPE and Surface Vorticity at 8:00 PM EDT |
Figure 5: Lifted Condensation Levels (LCL) at 8:00 PM EDT |
Figure 6: Precipitable Water at 8:00 PM EDT |
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