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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — This week, central Indiana has had its warmest temperatures of 2023 so far.

While the summerlike heat is welcome for many, it is a good reminder to be mindful of pets on our first big warm-up of the year. Afternoon temperatures from Wednesday to Sunday will be in the upper 80s and low 90s.

Pavement temperatures will likely exceed 130 degrees on sunny to partly sunny afternoons.

Walking a dog on these hot afternoons could pose a risk to their paws. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs can show signs of heat stress through excess saliva, nausea and vomiting, limited movement, and uncontrolled panting.

Remember to keep pets hydrated on hot days, too.

As always, check the latest 8 Day Forecast forecast for central Indiana.

(WISH Image)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With the 107th running of the Indy 500 only days away, central Indiana has seen some crazy weather on past race days.

In 2004, multiple tornadoes occurred on the same day of the Indy 500 including one EF2 tornado that passed only six miles south of the track. The warmest race on record belongs to the 1937 Indy 500 which had a high temperature of 92 degrees.

In terms of averages, the first 106 runnings of the Indy 500 had a normal high temperature of 78 degrees and a normal low temperature of 57 degrees. Only 29 percent of race days had measurable precipitation at the Indianapolis International Airport not too far away.

This year’s running of the 107th Indy 500 is looking quiet weather-wise. You can always check the latest forecast here.

Recent coverage

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It is that time of the year when hurricane season is set to begin.

NOAA has released its 2023 Atlantic hurricane season outlook ahead of the official start to the hurricane season June 1.

A near normal season is in the forecast with 12 to 17 named storms expected. Of those 12 to 17 storms, 5 to 9 storms are forecasted to be hurricanes.

This forecast is driven by the transition to an El Niño setup. Its counterpart, La Niña, has been in place the last few years which tends to increase hurricane activity.

During El Niño years, wind shear tends to be stronger for spots in the Caribbean. Stronger wind shear can deter tropical activity with an unfavorable environment for storms to grow. However, sea surface temperatures are already running well above average as we enter these hurricane months.

In early May, the National Hurricane Center determined a sub-tropical storm formed in January in the open Atlantic upon reanalysis. Technically, this means the tropical storm count is at one despite this storm not being named at the time.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Powerful Typhoon Mawar smashed the U.S. territory of Guam and continued lashing the Pacific island with high winds and heavy rain Thursday, knocking down trees, walls and power lines and creating a powerful storm surge that threatened to wash out low-lying areas.

The typhoon, the strongest to hit the territory of roughly 150,000 people since 2002, briefly made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 4 storm at Andersen Air Force Base on the northern tip of the island, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Doll.

The storm strengthened to 150 mph (241 kph) winds the following morning, regaining its status as a super typhoon, according to the weather service. Mawar was forecast to intensify further.

As it churned slowly over the island, the typhoon flipped cars and ripped branches from trees. At what felt like its peak intensity Wednesday night, the winds screeched and howled like jets flying overhead and rainwater rushed into some homes.

Videos posted on social media showed fallen trees, an overturned pickup truck, solar panels flying through the air, parts of a hotel’s exterior wall crumbling to the ground and exposing rebar, and storm surge and waves crashing through coastal reefs.

The early scope of the damage was difficult to ascertain, with power and internet failures making communication with the far-flung island difficult. The governor and lieutenant governor were making their way after daylight arrived to assess the damage, weather service meteorologist Landon Aydlett.

“It looks like toothpicks,” Aydlett said. “It looks like a scene from the movie ‘Twister,’ with things just thrashed apart. Lots of Guam is dealing with a major mess that’s going to take weeks to clean up.”

J. Asprer, a police officer in the Dededo precinct in northern Guam, said before dawn that he had not received any reports of injuries but several police cars and personal vehicles had been damaged by debris, and uprooted trees made some roads impassable. Most of the calls overnight came from worried people off-island who were unable to reach family members, Asprer said.

“We told them we’ll have to wait until the storm clears up a bit,” he said.

Ray Leon Guerrero, an assistant in the mayor’s office in Barrigada, a village of about 9,000 people in central Guam, stayed at the office overnight fielding calls from residents and heard objects slamming into the roof and outside walls constantly.

“Oh man. It was pretty noisy,” he said.

The slow-moving storm continued to batter the island early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph), and it was expected to intensify through Friday, the weather service said.

In a sign of how much help Guam might need, the Navy ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group to head to the island to assist in the recovery effort, according to a U.S. official. The Nimitz, along with the USS Bunker Hill, a cruiser, and the USS Wayne E. Meyer, a destroyer, were south of Japan and expected to arrive in Guam in three or four days, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements not yet made public.

The weather service said the storm made landfall at around 9 p.m. Wednesday in Guam, which is about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii and 1,600 miles (1,575 kilometers) east of the Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

“It was on land for about 30 to 35 minutes before it moved back offshore,” Doll said by phone from the weather service’s office in Tiyan, Guam.

Peak winds at the office reached 105 mph (169 kph), but the office later lost its wind sensors, Aydlett said. The building vibrated with a “constant, low rumbling,” and its doors and windows shook, he said.

By early Thursday, Mawar was centered 75 miles (121 kilometers) northwest of the island and 85 miles (137 kilometers) west of Rota, Guam’s neighbor to the north, moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

Power was knocked out for the entire island of Rota, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. said late Wednesday. Rota has about 2,500 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In Tumon, on Guam’s northeastern shore, winds tore a granite countertop from a hotel’s outdoor bar and tossed it 4 feet (about a meter) in the air. Guests scrambled to stack chairs to brace the doors, and windows buckled and creaked.

Tinian and Saipan, in the Northern Marianas, were under tropical storm warnings. Some people in those areas have been living in temporary shelters or tents since Category 5 Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018.

Mawar, a Malaysian word that means “rose,” might threaten Taiwan next week.

Many communities on the 212-square-mile (549-square-kilometer) island had lost power by Wednesday afternoon, and some to the south had lost water service. A flash flood warning was issued for the entire island as forecasters predicted as much as 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain in addition to a life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2 meters).

Ahead of the storm, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero ordered those living in coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas to evacuate to higher ground. The highest point on the island is Mount Lamlam in the southwest at 1,334 feet (406 meters). But much of the beachfront tourist district of Tamuning, where many resorts are located, is close to sea level.

Leon Guerrero said an emergency declaration approved by President Joe Biden will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.”

Guam is a crucial hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Joint Region Marianas commander, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents and employees from areas that were expected to be affected.

The military said it moved its ships out to sea as a standard precaution. It also sent aircraft off the island or placed them in protective hangars.

About 6,800 U.S. service members are assigned to Guam, according to the Pentagon.

Brumfield reported from Washington. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland, and Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed.

ONOLULU (AP) — Typhoon Mawar barreled into Guam as a powerful Category 4 storm Wednesday, pummeling the U.S. Pacific territory with high winds, heavy rains and a dangerous storm surge that swamped low-lying areas as residents hunkered down in homes and shelters.

The typhoon’s center passed over the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service said. It is the strongest storm to hit the U.S. Pacific territory of over 150,000 people in decades.

The weather service earlier warned of a “triple threat” of winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge, and officials were bracing for “considerable damage” including non-reinforced concrete walls being blown down, fuel storage tanks rupturing and overturned cars.

The weather service said the storm was a Category 4 “super typhoon,” meaning maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or greater.

The storm’s center hit Guam around 9 p.m. Wednesday, which is Wednesday morning in the continental United States. Guam lies west of the International Date Line and is ahead of the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, which is 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) to the east. Manila, the Philippine capital, is 1,600 miles (1,575 kilometers) to the west.

The weather service warned of an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation said people should take cover and remain in shelter for the next few hours.

Earlier, the U.S. military sent away ships, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration and anyone not living in a concrete house was urged to seek safety elsewhere.

Residents were warned to stay inside and away from windows. The weather service also advised them not to go outside even if there was calm as its wide eye passed overhead: “Extreme winds will rapidly return.”

Electricity and water may be unavailable for days and perhaps weeks, forecasters said.

“The landscape is going to look different,” said Ken Kleeschulte, a lead meteorologist with the weather service in Tiyan, Guam. “The buildings will still be there, for the most part.”

That’s because since 2002, building codes have been updated to require homes be made of concrete. Some older, less robust residences fashioned from wood with tin roofs will likely be gone, Kleeschulte said.

Residents accustomed to typhoons had been preparing for days, filling up gas tanks, securing patio furniture and gathering important documents.

Officials warned that uprooted trees could block roads, cutting off residential areas for days or weeks, and could also be turned into deadly, flying projectiles.

“A lot of folks are keeping their eyes on trees,” Reuel Drilon, a resident of the southern village of Agat, said earlier Wednesday. “We expect a lot of foliage damage. Everyone here has a mango tree.”

Guam is a crucial hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Joint Region Marianas commander, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents and employees in areas expected to be affected.

All ships were moved out to sea as a standard precaution, according to the Navy, and any personnel remaining on the island were sheltering in place. About 6,800 U.S. service members are assigned to Guam, according to the Pentagon.

Typhoon season runs from July 1 to Dec. 15 in the western North Pacific, according to the weather service.

___

AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein and writer Sarah Brumfield contributed from Washington.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — During the late morning hours on May 22, 2008, a very large tornado caused major and extensive damage from Gilcrest to Windsor, CO.

This EF3 tornado carved a near 25 mile path and was up to one mile wide at times. One person was killed with 78 others injured. Life-threatening hail up to baseball sized also accompanied the tornado.

This tornado was very unusual for Colorado as a whole in several different ways. First, the direction this took was abnormal as tornadoes typically move from southwest to northeast. There was a more north-northwestward component of motion as this event took place.

Another rare aspect of the Windsor tornado was its enormous width that Colorado doesn’t generally see. In fact, this is still the widest tornado to ever occur in Colorado. This also has the second longest damage path of any tornado in state history.

Here are some of the other quick facts about the Windsor tornado:

It also became the first deadly and EF3 tornado in Colorado since Mar 28, 2007. Many people were bewildered at the sight of this tornado when they came face-to-face with it.

Additional info on damage and costs can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/bou/TornadoMay22nd2008#:~:text=The%20tornado%20overturned%2015%20railroad,the%20tornado%20or%20destroyed%20later.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Monday is the last day for Indiana residents who were unable to work as a result of the March 31 – April 1 tornado outbreak to apply for disaster unemployment insurance.

Eligible individuals in Allen, Benton, Clinton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White Counties can file a claim with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency funds disaster unemployment insurance (orDUA), but Indiana DWD administers the program.

If approved and eligible, impacted residents could receive up to 28 weeks of unemployment assistance, if weekly criteria are met.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for DUA benefits, individuals must meet the following criteria:

Learn more about eligibility at the Indiana DWD website.

How to file

Individuals must file a regular claim for unemployment insurance benefits by visiting the Uplink Claimant Self-Service System. If denied regular unemployment insurance benefits, they can then apply for DUA.

Hoosiers who think they may be eligible for DUA benefits may apply by completing the forms on the DUA website. After completing the forms, click the “fill out this form” link on the website to apply and upload the completed forms.

Applicants who don’t have access to a computer or mobile device can visit the unemployment insurance access kiosks at WorkOne offices in the 12 designated counties.

Related coverage

FRANKFORT, Ind. (WISH) — State and federal officials will visit Clinton County this week to help residents still recovering from the March 31 – April 1 tornado outbreak.

Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Indiana and U.S. Small Business Administrations will be at the disaster recovery center in Frankfort from May 22 – 24 to help with FEMA applications, answer questions, and provide referrals to local resources.

The center will be located at the Clinton Emergency Management Building, 1859 S. Jackson St., in Frankfort.

The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Additional recovery centers are open in Allen, Benton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White Counties. To find a nearby center, visit the FEMA website.

To apply for FEMA assistance without visiting a center, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, go to DisasterAssistance.gov, or use the FEMA app. If you use a relay service such as video relay service, a captioned telephone service, or other services, give FEMA your number for that service.

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is June 14.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Ten years ago on May 20, 2013, the most recent EF5 tornado in U.S. history tore through parts of Newcastle and Moore, OK.

It became the fourth violent tornado to strike within the vicinity of Moore itself since May 3, 1999. This also became the deadliest tornado of 2013 as a whole with 24 fatalities.

This area overall has among the biggest troubled histories in the U.S. when it comes to tornadic activity.

A series of tornadoes had already broke out within the week before the EF5 on May 20. More action took place on May 20 itself as a collection of supercells fired off of a dryline in central Oklahoma. The storm that ultimately produced the Moore tornado developed near Chickasha.

At 2:56 PM CDT, the aforementioned storm would drop a tornado near Newcastle. Within minutes, the tornado was already producing damage up to EF4 intensity.

Image courtesy of NWS Norman. The Moore, OK EF5 around 3 PM CDT as it was about to enter the outskirts of Moore, OK.

The National Weather Service then had to rapidly issue a Tornado Emergency for Moore and south Oklahoma City at 3:01 PM CDT, which is the highest level Tornado Warning that exists. The tornado moved at roughly 20 MPH to the east-northeast as it widened going into Cleveland county. Once the tornado passed SW 149th Street and Western Avenue, it destroyed numerous buildings and killed horses at Orr Family Farm.

Then, Briarwood Elementary school would take a violent hit as EF5 level damage occurred. Amazingly, no one at the school was killed. Unfortunately, this was not the case at other schools such as Plaza Towers Elementary in which seven children died there. It is an absolute nightmare to have to wonder if your own kid made it through a tornado directly striking a school or any other place of that matter.

Image courtesy of NWS Norman. Moore, OK supercell on radar as the tornado was producing EF5 level damage.

Nine other people were killed in eight different neighborhood homes within a quarter mile south of Plaza Towers Elementary school. Then, the tornado made a bizarre loop near the intersection of Telephone Road and 4th Street before crossing I-35 in a southeasterly direction.

As the tornado crossed Telephone Road, it damaged the Moore Medical Center significantly. Consistent EF4 damage was still transpiring east of I-35 until it passed Bryant Avenue.

The tornado finally dissipated at 3:35 CDT east of Air Depot Boulevard. Even though the tornado lasted nearly 40 minutes, its path length was only 14 miles due to the slow forward speed. However, the tornado grew to a peak width of 1.1 miles.

Over 300 homes experienced EF4/EF5 damage. One other important thing to note is that this tornado took a bit of a similar path to the F5 on May 3, 1999.

Image courtesy of NWS Norman. Map of local storm reports and warning polygons from May 20-21, 2013 in the NWS Norman forecast area.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We’re en-route to seeing showers and scattered storms for our Friday night before we work in marvelous conditions this weekend. Then, our focus goes toward very warm air next week.

Friday night: Showers and scattered storms will move through central Indiana during the evening and nighttime hours. We look to clear things out by sunrise Saturday.

Lows bottom out in the low 50s.

Saturday: Cooler and refreshing air slides in for Saturday. Lots of sunshine along with the comfortable air will make it a beautiful day for any outdoor activities. Highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.

Sunday: Abundant sunshine will sick with us Sunday with temperatures quickly warming back up. We’ll see our highs get into the upper 70s.

8-Day Forecast: The warmup will gradually progress through the final full week of May. Temperatures return to the 80s on Monday, and we eventually look to make a run for the warmest air of the year by the second half of next week. Highs will try to get into the mid 80s by next Thursday. Next week as a whole also looks quiet.