Power Outage in Elkhart, IN

A two foot diameter tree was down. Powerlines down. Rail car tops were flipped over.

A trained spotter reported several power flashes and power outages in the area.

Heavy wet snow, wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph, and visibilities reduced to less than a quarter of a mile at times created difficult travel. There were a few reports of power outages and wind damage. Storm total snow accumulations generally ranged between 4 and 6 inches across the county, with thundersnow and snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour at times.

Periods of moderate to heavy lake effect snow accumulated to between 2 and 5 inches, with a report of 4.0 in Elkhart. Visibilities were reduced to a quarter of a mile or less in heavier snow. The heavy, wet nature to the snow led to some downed tree limbs and brief power outages. Roads become slick and snow covered in spots, with reports of accidents and slide-offs in the area. School delays and closings were also reported.

A lake effect snow band clipped southern Elkhart County with 1 to 3 inches of heavy wet snow. This combined with leaves on tress led to several reports of downed trees and power outages in these areas. Roads also became snow covered for a time with a few accidents reported across the region.

Goshen Airport, reported a 59 mph wind gust during the 7 AM hour. Frequent gusts of 40 to 50 mph from west and northwest were observed into the early afternoon. These wind gusts resulted in instances of tree damage and subsequent power outages.

The public reports trees and powerlines down.

Numerous reports of trees and power lines down across the northern portion of county, especially north of US 20.

A narrow band of snow fell with 2 to 5 inches of accumulation reported, mainly across the south and southeast portions of the county. The snow combined with ice remaining on trees from recent freezing rain led to some instances of downed tree limbs. Some power outages also were reported.

Periods of freezing rain and sleet on New Year's Day ended as a brief burst of heavy snow late in the evening. Ice accretions generally ranged between 0.10 and 0.20, while snowfall totals ranged between a coating and 1 inch. This led to reports of power outages and downed trees across the region. There were also reports of a few car accidents as roads were slick in spots.

The public reported a tree as well as power line down over a local road.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and poles were all reported down in spots across the county. Shingle damage was noted on the north side of Goshen to a residence.

The public reported large tree limbs and power lines down south of the intersection of Goshen Ave and Toledo Rd.

A large tree limb broke and fell onto power lines.

Local media reported several large branches snapped with power lines reported on some roadways.

Long duration sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts 50 to 55 mph occurred across the county, resulting in trees, tree limbs and power poles suffering damage. A 64 mph wind gust was recorded at the Goshen airport.

Freezing rain, at times mixed with sleet, accumulated up to 0.30 inches in spots on February 12th. Numerous slide-offs and minor accidents occurred across the county. Many schools and some businesses were closed on February 12th due to the icy conditions. Fallen tree branches were reported across the region, with many onto roads and power lines creating scattered power outages.

Reports of trees and power lines down which resulted in some damage to cars and some structural damage of houses.

A combination of freezing rain, sleet, and wind gusts to 40 mph created scattered power outages and downed trees. Slick spots on mainly elevated surfaces also aided in difficult travel and a few accidents. Ice accumulations across the county generally ranged between 0.05 and 0.20 inches.

Tree limbs and power lines downed.

Light snow developed during the late evening hours of January 31st and became heavy at times February 1st into early February 2nd. Total snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 14 and 17 inches. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph, combined with the falling snow, created reduced visibilities and blowing snow. Numerous events were cancelled across the region, along with reports of slide-offs and accidents due to snow covered and slick roads. There were also reports of road closures in rural areas as unplowed roads became impassible. The heavy, wet, nature of the snow also led to sporadic power outages.

Local newspapers reported trees and power lines were blown down across Elkhart.

Temperatures dropped into the single digits and teens below zero as arctic air filtered in behind a powerful winter storm that dropped more than a foot of heavy snow on the region. Strong westerly winds, with gusts between 30 and 40 mph, created deadly wind chills and significant blowing and drifting snow. Dangerous winds chills between 30 and 45 degrees below zero were common. The extremely cold temperatures and significant blowing snow kept many north-south roads impassable or restricted to single lanes. There were numerous reports of accidents and slide-offs across the region due to the slick roadways, with many businesses and schools closed each day.

Multiple power lines, some arcing, were reported down near Francis and Blaine Street.

Rain changed over to heavy wet snow Tuesday afternoon and continued into the evening hours before ending. There was a tight snowfall gradient across the county, with total snow accumulations ranging from 1 inch in Elkhart, to 4.3 inches in Goshen, to 8.8 inches in Millersburg. Snow fell at 1 to 2 inches per hour at times. The heavy wet snow created localized power outages, along with hazardous driving conditions which resulted in accidents and slide-offs. There were also reports of school delays and cancellations the next morning, mainly across eastern Elkhart County.

Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down throughout the northwestern part of the county, including portion of the city of Elkhart.

Law enforcement officials reported widespread tree and power line damage across the county.

Broadcast media reported a portion of a roof being blown off of a house and power poles snapped on State Route 19 south of County Road 38.

Very windy conditions were seen across the area on December 9th as a deep area of low pressure tracked into Michigan. Wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph were common during the late morning and afternoon hours. There were reports of power lines and trees down across the region due to the strong winds, which resulted in isolated power outages.

The Goshen ASOS unit recorded a 58 mph wind gust. In addition, numerous reports of trees and power lines being blown down were noted.

Mixed wintry precipitation overspread the area late December 18th and continued through about noon on December 19th. Precipitation started out as a brief period of snow and sleet before changing over to moderate freezing rain. Snow and sleet accumulations were generally near 1 inch. Ice accumulations were near a quarter of an inch. There were numerous reports of power outages across the region due to significant ice accumulations on power lines and trees. There were also school closers across the county.

Two to four tenths of an inch of ice covered roads and power lines, creating hazardous driving conditions and widespread power outages along with tree limbs downed. No injuries or deaths were reported in the county.

Trees and power lines were reported down throughout the county.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across the county, including Wakarusa, Goshen, Elkhart, Nappanee and Bristol. A few trees and tree limbs were blown down onto houses and vehicles. A trailer park in Bristol suffered damage as trees fell onto vehicles and mobile homes. Debris from the mobile homes was then thrown at other residences, causing additional damage. A 65 mph wind gust was observed west of Nappanee, with the Goshen airport reporting a 59 mph wind gust.

Winds across portions of northern Indiana were sustained in the 25 to 35 mph range with some areas reporting gusts between 45 to as high as 69 mph. Reports of small branches down and a few downed power lines were received. The 69 mph wind gust was recorded at the Michigan City Coast Guard observation site. A Michigan City man was injured after pushing his 7 year old grandson out of the way of a falling tree. The 51 year old was unable to move out of the way after this and was subsequently struck by the falling tree in the back. His back was broken in three places. No other injuries were reported. Other recorded wind gusts across northern Indiana were: South Bend 55 mph, North Webster NWS 52 mph, Fort Wayne 51 mph and Goshen 49 mph.

Amateur radio reported some windows blown out and power lines down in Elkhart.

An intense area of low pressure moving across Michigan produced sustained winds of 40 MPH with measured gusts to 60 MPH across all of Northern Indiana, Northwest Ohio and Southwest Lower Michigan from late morning through early evening. Widespread reports of trees and power lines downwere received from law enforcement across the region.

Winds gusted to 65 MPH behind a strong cold front that moved across the region during the late afternoon and evening. Numerous power outages occurred with trees and power lines down. Damage was reported to some roofs with extensive damage to the Knox City Court Building in Starke County.

Trees and power lines down as a result of 60 to 70 mph estimated winds.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Elkhart.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Elkhart.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Elkhart.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Dunlap.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Elkhart.

An unusually strong cold front moved through the region during the daylight hours of the 9th. A strong pressure gradient existed with the front as 3 hour pressure falls of 4 millibars ahead of the front combined with 3 hour pressure rises of 11 millibars. Winds just above the surface ranged from 70 to 80 mph. The combination of these 2 factors was tapped by a narrow line of showers immediately ahead of the cold front. Widespread reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines being blown down were received as surface winds of 50 to 70 mph were experienced by many areas. Power lines were taken down by a large tree being uprooted along State Route 15, just south of Goshen. In New Paris, a large tree limb was blown onto a house, breaking a portion of the roof and a gas line. No one was in the home at the time of the incident.

Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines down across the county as well as damage to roofs on houses and outbuildings.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Elkhart.

Tree blown down onto power lines.

Several tree limbs and power lines were taken down across the county.

Numerous trees and power lines down.

Roof damage. Tree fell on car. Many trees and power lines down.

Storms moved across the area during the early morning of 8/12. Initial disorganized storms evolved into two distinct, organized multi-cell clusters. One tracking from Bristol ENE through Middlebury, Constantine, Sturgis, Coldwater, Jonesville, HIllsdale and Moscow. The second tracked from Francesville ENE through Winimac, Rochester, Mentone, Warsaw, Syracuse, and Albion. Both were characterized by downbursting cores which tapped into an exceptional strong mid level jet (winds in excess of 70kts) which lead to extensive tree and powerline damage. Multiple homes were also impacted from falling trees.

A narrow band of moderate to heavy snow brought snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches. The new snow combined with ice already on trees resulted in some downed tree limbs and power outages.

Deepening low pressure tracked across the Great Lakes, bringing with it gusty winds, as well as areas of thunderstorms. While severe weather was expected, damage that occurred was the result of the strong gradient winds along the lake shore areas of Lake Michigan where numerous reports of trees, tree limbs and power lines down were received from county officials.