Follow live weather coverage at our blog. Download the IndyStar app to get breaking weather alerts. Share photos or video of the storm with IndyStar using our online form here
Marion County and surrounding residents should be “concerned” about severe weather making its way through Indianapolis this afternoon and evening, National Weather Service of Indianapolis Meteorologist Crystal Pettet said.
The June 17 storms follow last week’s bout of severe weather that swept through the Midwest, including Indiana. Some Hoosiers saw their homes destroyed by a record number of tornadoes, while others were plagued by power outages.
Here’s what to know about the severe storms expected to barrel through Marion County later today.
This story continues below the image.
Two waves of storms coming to Indianapolis area
Two rounds of storms will make their way through Indiana and the Indianapolis metropolitan area, Pettet said.
2-4 p.m.: Circle City can expect the first round of storms to move in, Pettet said, potentially affecting homeward bound commutes for some workers. The afternoon storm system has the potential to bring damaging winds, lightning and heavy rain, but is expected to be less severe than weather later in the night, she said.
9-10 p.m.: NWS expects a second round of severe weather to hit Marion County, bringing potential tornadoes, large hail, flash flooding and damaging winds. Pettet warned residents in the greater Indianapolis area — not just rural Indiana — should be prepared for what could be extremely severe storms.
“All of the different variables that come into play to set up a severe weather situation are primed for the storms coming in tonight,” she said.
Between the afternoon and evening storms, Pettet said, Hoosiers may be lured into feeling a false sense of security because there could be a several-hour period of “downtime” without rain. However, she warned, those in the path of the storms should stay vigilant and check live weather updates as frequently as possible.
When will NWS send out severe weather updates?
NWS Indianapolis is in “constant communication” with the public through its website and social media pages, Pettet said. For June 17, there is no specific timeline of when NWS may update Hoosiers about today’s severe weather, but Petter encourages people to check back on the weather service’s pages for updates.
When storms start developing, she said, NWS will put out information as quickly as possible.
What else should Hoosiers do to stay safe today?
Pettet said Marion County residents should prepare for severe weather tonight by having a plan and taking steps to be as safe as possible — ensuring weather updates are enabled on their phones, paying attention to storm development and getting inside and to a lower floor if necessary.
IndyStar staff put together a safety guide that includes important information about what to do in the case of severe storms.
Check IndyStar live blog for updated storm coverage
IndyStar will be monitoring the storm with our live blog throughout the day for the most recent updates.
Do you have photos or videos of storms or damage? Send them in at this link.
Mia Thurow is the breaking news and criminal justice reporting intern for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at mthurow@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Two waves of storms coming to Indianapolis. Here’s when they’ll hit
Reporting by Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
