Thunderstorm Wind in Lawrence County, Indiana

Thunderstorm wind gusts blew out a transformer and downed at least one power pole.

On the evening of March 22, 2026, an upper-level disturbance and an associated cold front swept across Central Indiana, triggering a broad swath of severe thunderstorms. Convection first initiated in the northern portions of the IND CWA, with the first reports of quarter-sized hail occurring in Howard and Madison counties. As the evening progressed, these storms moved into an environment characterized by moderate instability and strong vertical wind shear, allowing cells to become highly organized. The activity eventually evolved into a mixture of discrete supercells and organized line segments that tracked southeastward through the Indianapolis metro area and into southern Indiana.

The primary hazards associated with this event were large hail and damaging straight-line winds. The most significant hail report occurred in Knox County near Bicknell, where stones up to 2.00 inches in diameter were observed. Widespread hail ranging from 1.25 to 1.75 inches was also reported across Randolph, Marion, Sullivan, Daviess, and Martin counties. As the storms transitioned into a more linear configuration, wind damage became more prevalent. A peak measured gust of 64 mph was recorded in Jackson County, while a 62 mph gust was measured in Monroe County.