Activation on July 26th, 2007 for Severe Storms
At approximately 7:03pm on the evening of July 26, 2007, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Blackford County until 8:00pm by the National Weather Service of Northern Indiana. The EOC was already staffed as the severe thunderstorm was in Grant County moving east. Upon the Severe Thunderstorm Warning being issued, spotters were deployed and the EOC went into activation mode.
Several spotters were active. Spotters and locations are as followed:
56-01 – North High Street and Illinois Street
56-02 – Rover for the county
56-15 – Lighthouse Church (This unit was deployed to this location due to nearly 200 children attending Bible study class. He remained at this location until the severe weather threat had cleared the area)
56-16 – 2 miles south of Hartford City
56-17 – Millgrove area
56-25 – Paired with 56-17
The storm had approached the area around 7:15pm, initially radar was indicating the possibility of hail up to one and a half inches in diameter were possible. This hail signature decreased rapidly and the storm had begun to weaken as it entered the Eastern half of Blackford County. Several reports of damage were reported within the county. The storm exited Blackford County at approximately 7:40pm and the NWS dropped the Storm Warning at 7:44pm, as the threat had exited the county.
Upon review, it appears when the radar lost the hail signature, which was the point when the storm lost its updraft. The result was rapidly sinking air that created a strong downdraft. This resulting downdraft created a straight line wind event, creating the several damage reports. 56-02 reported an approximate 3-4 mile swath from 200w and 400s and going east southeast from that location.
Reported damage was as follows:
-100 West and St Rd 26 –Nickel size hail very briefly
-Werber Rd and St Rd 26 --Pea size hail
-100 West and St Rd 26 --Tree limbs down
-200 West and Angling Pk --Lines down
-150 West and Angling Pk --Trees down
-715 East Washington St. (HC) --Tree down
-400 West and 925 South --Lines down (Upland fire responded and was on scene)
-Angling Pk btw 100-175 West --Tree down
-200 West and Angling Pk --Service line to house down
--Rolls of large field tile blown into bean fields
-7th and Monroe (HC) --Area of southside school, several limbs down
Just isolated storms remained in the area thru the night, with no reports of severe weather occurring.