BLOOMINGTON, Indiana — A strong storm statement has been extended for parts of Monroe, Morgan, Sullivan, Clay, Owen, Greene and Putnam counties in Indiana until 5:45 PM ET Saturday, September 19, 2026, with strong gusty winds of 30 to 40 MPH as the primary hazard. The radar shows intense storm cells with heavy red and orange cores currently moving through western and central Indiana, with the most active activity positioned near Greencastle, Brazil, Jasonville and Bloomington. While this is not a tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning, 30 to 40 MPH wind gusts can still knock down tree limbs, damage unsecured outdoor items and make driving on exposed highways hazardous.
What the Strong Storm Statement Covers
The strong storm statement details visible on the radar image confirm the following for the affected counties through 5:45 PM ET Saturday, September 19, 2026:
- Maximum hail size: 0 inches — meaning hail is not a significant threat with this activity, keeping the primary hazard focused entirely on the 30 to 40 MPH wind gusts.
- Maximum wind gust: 30 MPH — the statement confirms gusts up to 30 MPH at the time of issue, with the broader source data indicating gusts up to 40 MPH possible through the 5:45 PM ET expiration.
- The statement expires in approximately one hour from the time of the radar capture, running through 5:45 PM ET Saturday.
Where the Heaviest Storm Activity Is Right Now
The radar image shows intense heavy rainfall cores in dark red and orange spread across a broad area of western and central Indiana at this time. Here are the communities visible within or near the active storm zones:
- Greencastle, Indiana sits directly within one of the most intense storm cores visible on the radar image, with heavy red returns showing concentrated rainfall near the city right now.
- Bloomington, Indiana falls within active storm returns on the radar, with cells visible near the city and the strong storm statement covering Monroe County where Bloomington is located through 5:45 PM ET.
- Brazil, Indiana is visible within the active storm zone on the radar image, sitting near intense returns in the Clay County area covered by the strong storm statement.
- Jasonville, Indiana is visible within heavy storm returns on the radar image near the Greene County portion of the strong storm statement area.
- Cloverdale, Indiana falls within or near the active storm corridor visible on the radar through 5:45 PM ET Saturday.
- Terre Haute, Indiana is visible on the western portion of the radar image near heavy storm activity moving through the area.
- Sullivan, Indiana and Linton, Indiana are visible within the storm environment on the radar image in the Sullivan County and Greene County portions of the statement area.
- Ellettsville, Indiana is visible just west of Bloomington within the active storm zone on the radar image through 5:45 PM ET.
- Indianapolis, Indiana is visible to the northeast on the radar image outside the current strong storm statement area but within the broader storm environment tracking eastward across the state.
- Danville, Plainfield and Greenwood, Indiana are visible on the radar image between the active western storm cores and Indianapolis.
- Crawfordsville, Indiana is visible to the north on the radar image near lighter storm activity tracking across the region.
- Vincennes and Washington, Indiana are visible on the southern portion of the radar image near additional storm cells moving through the area.
- Loogootee, Bedford and Paoli, Indiana are visible in the southern portion of the radar within the broader storm environment through 5:45 PM ET Saturday, September 19, 2026.
- Seymour and Columbus, Indiana are visible on the eastern portion of the radar image near scattered storm cells tracking eastward.
What 30 to 40 MPH Gusts Mean for Saturday Afternoon Activities
While 30 to 40 MPH gusts do not reach the threshold for a severe thunderstorm warning, they are strong enough to cause real problems for anyone outdoors in the affected counties through 5:45 PM ET. Unsecured patio furniture, pop-up tents and canopies used for college football tailgating are particularly vulnerable to gusts at this level and can become dangerous projectiles if not secured or taken down before the storms arrive. Tree limbs weakened by earlier rainfall this week are also more susceptible to snapping in 30 to 40 MPH gusts, increasing the risk of road hazards and power outages across Monroe, Morgan, Sullivan, Clay, Owen, Greene and Putnam counties through 5:45 PM ET Saturday.
