Tornado Outbreak Sequence Of May 2003
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From May 3 to May 11, 2003, a prolonged and destructive
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...
of
tornado outbreak A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same Synoptic scale meteorology, synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least ...
s affected much of the
Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...
and Eastern United States. Most of the severe activity was concentrated between May 4 and May 10, which saw more tornadoes than any other week-long span in recorded history; 335 tornadoes occurred during this period, concentrated in the
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
and central
Mississippi River Valley The Mississippi embayment is a physiographic feature in the south-central United States, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It is essentially a northward continuation of the fluvial sediments of the Mississippi River Delta to its conflue ...
. Additional tornadoes were produced by the same storm systems from May 3 to May 11, producing 363 tornadoes overall, of which 62 were significant. Six of the tornadoes were rated F4, and of these four occurred on May 4, the most prolific day of the tornado outbreak sequence; these were the outbreak's strongest tornadoes. Damage caused by the severe weather and associated flooding amounted to US$4.1 billion (US$5.8 billion in 2016), making it the costliest U.S. tornado outbreak of the 2000s. A total of 50 deaths and 713 injuries were caused by the severe weather, with a majority caused by tornadoes; the deadliest tornado was an F4 that struck
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...
and Henderson counties in
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, killing 11. In 2023, tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis created the
outbreak intensity score Thomas P. Grazulis (born August 17, 1942) is an American meteorologist who has written extensively about tornadoes and produced documentaries as head of ''The Tornado Project''. Biography Early career Thomas Grazulis grew up in Worcester, M ...
(OIS) as a way to rank various tornado outbreaks. The tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 received an OIS of 232, making it the fifth worst tornado outbreak in recorded history.


Overview

During the first half of May 2003, atmospheric conditions across the Central and Southeastern United States proved exceptionally favorable for widespread
severe weather Severe weather is any dangerous meteorological phenomenon with the potential to cause damage, serious social disruption, or loss of human life. These vary depending on the latitude, altitude, topography, and atmospheric conditions. High ...
. Idealized patterns for large
tornado outbreak A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same Synoptic scale meteorology, synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least ...
s occurred each day from May 3 to 11, resulting in a prolonged and extensive series of outbreaks. Warm, moist air flowed northward from the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
across the Central United States and reached as far north as
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. This created an anomalously large warm sector–the airmass behind a
warm front Warm, WARM, or Warmth may refer to: * A somewhat high temperature; heat * Kindness Music Albums * ''Warm'' (Herb Alpert album), 1969 * ''Warm'' (Jeff Tweedy album), 2018 * ''Warm'' (Johnny Mathis album), 1958, and the title song * ''Warm'' ( ...
and ahead of a
dry line A dry line (also called a dew point line, or Marfa front, after Marfa, Texas) is a line across a continent that separates moist air and dry air. One of the most prominent examples of such a separation occurs in central North America, especially ...
–for thunderstorms to develop within. The unusually far-reaching nature of this airmass resulted in the greatest tornadic activity occurring outside the climatological maximum area for tornadoes in May. Atop the northward surface winds, the upper-level
jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal wind, air currents in the Earth's Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere. The main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds, flowing west to east around the gl ...
blew almost perpendicular, creating strong
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
across
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, Missouri,
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. Multiple
shortwave trough A shortwave or shortwave trough is an embedded kink in the trough / ridge pattern. Its length scale is much smaller than that of and is embedded within longwaves, which are responsible for the largest scale (synoptic scale) weather systems. Sho ...
s initiated tornadic events throughout the outbreak. As severe weather shifted east across the country, another trough would cross from the Pacific to the Central United States and reignite activity. The cause of these successive troughs is unknown, but they proved a key factor in the prolonged nature of the outbreak. Throughout this period, no
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
s propagated south from Canada; the lack of these allowed the atmosphere to continually destabilize and fuel further thunderstorms. The pattern finally ceased on May 11–12 with the active pattern shifting to
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
the formation of a
ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
over the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
. Throughout the nine-day outbreak, 363 tornadoes touched down across the United States. Of these, 62 reached at least F2-intensity, while 6 reached F4. The most prolific and violent day of the outbreak was May 4; 79 tornadoes touched down, of which 4 reached F4-intensity. Between May 4 and May 10, 335 tornadoes developed across 26 states, setting a record for the most tornadoes ever documented over the course of a week. At least one significant tornado was reported daily across nine consecutive days, with at least a dozen tornadoes total occurring daily over the same timeframe. Due to the temporal expanse of the event, it was classified as a
tornado outbreak sequence A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least two rotational locations ( ...
—a "continuous or near-continuous sequence of tornado outbreak days"—with only three historical events of comparable longevity and severity according to data compiled by Thomas P. Grazulis. May 2003 ultimately became the most active month for tornadoes in recorded history until it was later surpassed by April 2011. In total, the widespread severe weather event caused an estimated $4.1 billion (2003; $5.8 billion 2019  CPI-adjusted) in damage and 41 deaths alongside 642 injuries.


Meteorological synopsis

On April 30, meteorologists at the
Storm Prediction Center The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is a US government agency that is part of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), operating under the control of the National Weather Service (NWS), which in turn is part of the National Oceani ...
(SPC) noted the likelihood of a major tornado outbreak across a large area of the Central and Eastern United States for the period of May 2–6. Ahead of the most active day, the SPC issued a rare high-risk outlook for severe weather across eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, western Missouri, and northwestern Arkansas. A total of 127 severe weather watches and 4,050 warnings (2,960 severe thunderstorm and 1,090 tornado) were issued from May 4. Of the watches, 25 were classified as
Particularly Dangerous Situation A PDS tornado watch issued on December 14, 2022. In weather forecasting in the United States, "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) is the wording used by the National Weather Service and the Storm Prediction Center to convey special urgency in ...
s, a type of watch reserved for the most life-threatening events. The issuance of such watches resulted in an average lead-time of 2 hours and 3 minutes for fatal tornadoes. Seven of the eight fatal tornadoes occurred within a high-risk outlook area, with the eighth just outside in a moderate-risk area. An average of 12 watches were issued each day; May 6, 8, and 10 saw more than 20 each. Watches were continuously in effect from 16:40 UTC on May 4 through 12:00 UTC on May 9. May 6 saw the greatest number of advisories with a record 921 warnings. The SPC and the National Weather Services offices in Kansas City, Springfield, Memphis, Paducah, and Oklahoma City received a letter of praise signed by 11 members of the
United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development. More specifically, the committee has complete jurisdic ...
commending their high-quality service during the event. Furthermore, the SPC webpage received an average of 5.6 million views per day during the outbreak.


May 3

On the morning of May 3, the SPC predicted that a
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
would intensify over the eastern U.S., resulting in a wide and expanding area of increased
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
and
atmospheric instability Atmospheric instability is a condition where the Earth's atmosphere is considered to be unstable and as a result local weather is highly variable through distance and time. Atmospheric instability encourages vertical motion, which is directly cor ...
across the southeastern U.S. Strong southerly winds in the lower levels of the troposphere over the central Great Plains were also expected to advect warm and moist air into the Great Plains. These factors were forecast to provide a conducive environment for severe weather across much of the U.S.; the SPC would delineate moderate risks for severe weather in parts of the central Great Plains, Red River region, and southeastern U.S. over the course of the day, with a lesser but nonetheless extant expectation of severe weather extending outwards from the focal areas. The first severe watch on May 3 was a severe thunderstorm watch issued for parts of the Gulf Coast at 14:14 UTC (9:14 a.m. CDT) in connection with a
mesoscale convective system A mesoscale convective system (MCS) is a complex of thunderstorms that becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms but smaller than extratropical cyclones, and normally persists for several hours or more. A mesoscale conv ...
that had been tracking southeast over eastern
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
and western
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
during the morning. The
outflow Outflow may refer to: *Capital outflow, the capital leaving a particular economy *Bipolar outflow, in astronomy, two continuous flows of gas from the poles of a star * Outflow (hydrology), the discharge of a lake or other reservoir system *Outflow ...
from this complex of storms was expected to also trigger additional severe thunderstorms within an environment favorable for large hail and strong winds near the Gulf Coast. However, the SPC noted that the day's most conducive environment of severe weather—conditional on the development of storms—lay farther west over the southern Great Plains along a decaying
warm front Warm, WARM, or Warmth may refer to: * A somewhat high temperature; heat * Kindness Music Albums * ''Warm'' (Herb Alpert album), 1969 * ''Warm'' (Jeff Tweedy album), 2018 * ''Warm'' (Johnny Mathis album), 1958, and the title song * ''Warm'' ( ...
and a
dry line A dry line (also called a dew point line, or Marfa front, after Marfa, Texas) is a line across a continent that separates moist air and dry air. One of the most prominent examples of such a separation occurs in central North America, especially ...
. The SPC issued a tornado watch at 18:15 UTC (1:15 p.m. CDT) for parts of
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, and Texas. Although an
atmospheric sounding Atmospheric sounding or atmospheric profiling is a measurement of vertical distribution of physical properties of the atmospheric column such as pressure, temperature, wind speed and wind direction (thus deriving wind shear), liquid water content, o ...
from
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
, showed the presence of a
capping inversion A capping inversion is an elevated inversion layer that caps a convective planetary boundary layer. The boundary layer is the part of the atmosphere which is closest to the ground. Normally, the sun heats the ground, which in turn heats the ...
that prevented storm development, sufficient daytime heating could initiate storms that could develop in the otherwise favorable conditions for severe weather in place. By 21:00 UTC (4:00 p.m. CDT), a line of
towering cumulus Cumulus congestus or towering cumulus clouds are a species of cumulus that can be based in the low- to middle-height ranges. They achieve considerable vertical development in areas of deep, moist convection. They are an intermediate stage betwee ...
and
cumulonimbus Cumulonimbus () is a dense, towering, vertical cloud, typically forming from water vapor condensing in the lower troposphere that builds upward carried by powerful buoyant air currents. Above the lower portions of the cumulonimbus the water va ...
clouds emerged along the dry line east of
Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Lubbock County. With a population of 272,086 in 2024, Lubbock is the 10th-most populous city in Texas and the 84th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the ...
, resulting in a focused threat area for large hail, strong wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes in southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. Concurrently, decreasing air pressures, steepening
lapse rate The lapse rate is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth's atmosphere, falls with altitude. ''Lapse rate'' arises from the word ''lapse'' (in its "becoming less" sense, not its "interruption" sense). In dry air, ...
s, and increasing moisture resulted in another conducive area for severe weather over the central Great Plains and along the eastern periphery of the Rocky Mountains. A tornado watch was issued for northeastern
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
and northwestern
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
in response to this emergent favorability for severe weather at 22:10 UTC (5:10 p.m. CDT). By 01:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. CDT), severe thunderstorms were active over the Oklahoma/Texas region and the Dakotas/Nebraska area. The final tornado watch of the day was issued for western Oklahoma and northwestern Texas at 01:05 UTC (8:05 p.m. CDT) and expired at 07:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. CDT). Tornadoes were reported in
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
,
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
, and
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
throughout the day; there were 18 tornado reports, though only 14 tornadoes were confirmed. Although the SPC received its first tornado report at 21:17 UTC (4:17 p.m. CDT) from
Meade County, South Dakota Meade County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,852, making it the 6th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Sturgis. The county was created in 1889 and named for Fo ...
, the first confirmed tornado was an F0 tornado that touched down at 21:41 UTC (4:41 p.m. CDT) near Minatare in
Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska Scotts Bluff County is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 36,084. Its county seat is Gering, and its largest city is Scottsbluff. Scotts Bluff County is incl ...
. The strongest tornado of the day was an F2 tornado that touched down near Lake Stamford in Texas at around 00:10 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT). The tornado originated from an isolated supercell thunderstorm that had developed along the dry line in northwestern Texas; the same thunderstorm produced at least three other tornadoes during its two-hour traversal of
Haskell County, Texas Haskell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,416. The county seat is Haskell. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1885. It is named for Charles Ready Haskell, who ...
.


May 4

May 4 was the most active day of the tornado outbreak sequence: the SPC received 94 tornado reports, though surveys and reanalyses confirmed 79 tornadoes. At the time, this was the second largest number of tornadoes in the U.S. in a single day on record, behind only April 3, 1974. The 38 tornadoes confirmed in Missouri was the highest single-day total for the state and were more numerous than any previous month on record. The day's severe weather was largely driven by a powerful mid-tropospheric disturbance moving northeast across the central and northern Great Plains in tandem with an unusually strong area of low pressure over northeastern
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. These weather features were also positioned beneath a negatively-tilted trough and an anomalously robust portion of a
jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal wind, air currents in the Earth's Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere. The main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds, flowing west to east around the gl ...
. A cold front and dry line were located south and southwest of the low-pressure area while a warm front spanned from the system southeast to the
Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North C ...
. This atmospheric setup was highly conducive for tornadogenesis, and accordingly the potential for a major tornado outbreak was forecast well in advance. The National Weather Service office in
Pleasant Hill, Missouri Pleasant Hill is a city in Cass and Jackson counties, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,777 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Pleasant Hill is home for the National Weather Service Kansas City/Ple ...
, noted the potential for severe weather on May 4 as early as April 28. In their Day 2 Convective Outlook, issued on May 3, the SPC indicated that the eastern fringes of the southern Great Plains and the lower and central
Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
had a moderate risk of experiencing severe weather on May 4. At 13:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. CDT) on May 4, the agency noted a high risk of severe weather for parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, predicting a "significant severe thunderstorm event" and the potential for "long-track and violent tornadoes" within the high risk region. Additionally, areas within this region had at least 25 percent chance of experiencing a nearby tornado and at least a 10 percent change of experiencing a nearby significant tornado. The SPC cited the confluence of high instability (characterized by convective available potential energy
APE Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a superfamily of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found global ...
values between 2000 and 4000 J/kg) and strong wind shear as factors contributing to the anticipated tornado outbreak. By around 15:00 UTC (10:00 a.m. CDT), the conducive conditions for severe weather projected in computer forecast models had begun to come to fruition. An area of low pressure centered south of
Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Neb ...
, was intensifying amid strengthening winds aloft. A dry line extended south of the cyclone over areas east of
Dodge City, Kansas Dodge City is a city in and the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. It was named after nearby Fort Dodge, which was named in honor of Grenville Dodge. The city ...
. A warm front also extended outwards from the low pressure system towards
Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 cen ...
, and
Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
. Behind the front, dew points exceeded . The warm front moved north as the day progressed, bringing along with it the warm and moist maritime tropical
air mass In meteorology, an air mass is a volume of air defined by its temperature and humidity. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adapt to the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to ...
. The SPC expected that both the warm front and the dry line would serve as a focus for storm development as the storm system evolved. The rapid development of storms just north of the low pressure system and the increasingly conducive conditions available to these storms led the SPC to issue their first tornado watch of the day at 16:40 UTC (11:40 a.m. CDT) for parts of northeastern Kansas and south-central and southeastern Nebraska. Roughly an hour later, additional tornado watches—all classified as Particularly Dangerous Situations—were issued for parts of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma ahead of an emerging line of towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds spanning from southeastern Nebraska to northeastern Kansas. As the low pressure system intensified—its central pressure falling in 2 hours—conditions continued to become more favorable for the formation of strong tornadoes. The day's first tornado was a brief F0
landspout __NOTOC__ Landspout is a term created by atmospheric scientist Howard B. Bluestein in 1985 for a tornado not associated with a mesocyclone. The ''Glossary of Meteorology'' defines a landspout as: Landspouts are typically weaker than mesocyc ...
that touched down in
Scott County, Kansas Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Scott City, the only incorporated city in the county. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,151. The county was named after Winfield Scott, a gen ...
, at 19:59 UTC (2:59 p.m. CDT). A line of thunderstorms developed over northeastern Kansas after 19:30 UTC (2:30 p.m. CDT) and later produced nine tornadoes in northeastern Kansas and northwestern Kansas. Four of these tornadoes touched down in the
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, area, including two F4 tornadoes. Concurrently, additional tornadic storms developed along the dry line in southeastern Kansas during the afternoon. These storms produced an F4 tornado and an F3 tornado that tracked for , impacting Jericho Springs, Missouri, and
Stockton, Missouri Stockton is a city and the county seat of Cedar County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2020 census. History Stockton was platted in 1846. It was originally named Lancaster, but was renamed Fremont in 1847 in honor of ...
. The diminishing of the capping inversion along the dry line that had prevented storm development earlier in the day led the SPC to issue a tornado watch at 20:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. CDT) for south-central and southeastern Oklahoma and north-central and northeast Texas. One supercell developed over northeastern Oklahoma and moved into southwestern Missouri, producing an F3 tornado that struck
Pierce City, Missouri Pierce City, formerly Peirce City, is a city in southwest Lawrence and northwest Barry counties, in southwest Missouri, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2020 census. According to the 2024 census population estimate, the town is ho ...
. Conditions within the preexisting risk areas remained favorable for tornadoes into the evening while the tornadic risk increased farther east, prompting the SPC to issue a tornado watch for new areas of Arkansas,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, Mississippi, Missouri, and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
at 23:55 UTC (6:55 p.m. CDT). Tornadoes developed over Arkansas during the afternoon and evening of May 4, including two tornadoes with path lengths. At 01:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. CDT), the SPC indicated a high risk for severe weather for parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee as the tornado outbreak remained in progress and tornado-producing supercells persisted into the overnight hours, outlining that "a dangerous tornado situation asdeveloping along the warm front" between northeastern Arkansas and western Tennessee and that any developing storms would rapidly assume supercell characteristics. Southerly winds had continued to bring tropical air into the region, raising surface temperatures to near and bringing dew points above by 03:00 UTC (10:00 p.m. CDT). Storms that had initially formed over northeastern Arkansas and the
Missouri Bootheel The Missouri Bootheel is a Salient (geography), salient (protrusion) located in the southeasternmost part of the U.S. state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30′ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the sta ...
at around 22:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. CDT) quickly strengthened and acquired supercell characteristics; some of these storms entered western Tennessee by 02:00 UTC (9:00 p.m. CDT), producing tornadoes and damaging winds and hail. Over the next two hours, the morphology of these storms varied between a unified
squall line A squall line, or quasi-linear convective system (QLCS), is a line of thunderstorms, often forming along or ahead of a cold front. In the early 20th century, the term was used as a synonym for cold front (which often are accompanied by abrupt a ...
with embedded rotation or a set of discrete supercells. One of the storms encountered highly conducive conditions and produced an F4 tornado near Denmark, Tennessee, that later tore through
Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...
.


May 5

The atmospheric environment continued to remain conducive for tornadoes well into the night of May 4–5. Tornado watches were issued and remained in effect for various parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri,
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, Oklahoma, and Tennessee during the early morning hours of May 5 as conditions supported both the persistence of preexisting supercell thunderstorms and the development of new storms. Radar imagery indicated that the threat for severe weather had begun to diminish by around 09:00 UTC (4:00 a.m. CDT). Nonetheless, the potential for isolated tornadoes continued through the night in connection with a cluster supercell thunderstorms over
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
. The SPC predicted May 5 would be another active day for severe weather, projecting a Moderate Risk of severe weather a day in advance before projecting a High Risk at 16:30 UTC (11:30 a.m. CDT) on May 5 for areas surrounding the border between Arkansas and Louisiana; the anticipated overlap of wind shear and CAPE exceeding 3000 J/kg was cited as contributing factors to the day's anticipated supercell development and consequential high risk for severe weather. The forecast high risk region was later shifted towards the Tennessee Valley following the increase of air divergence and the persistence of wind shear and atmospheric instability in that area. The principal weather features on May 5 included a longwave trough centered over the western U.S., a powerful upper-tropospheric trough over the Mississippi Valley, and a cyclone over Iowa tracking northeastwards towards
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, with the most significant weather expected to coincide with an area of steep lapse rates. Three F0 tornadoes were reported in northern Mississippi between 12:55–13:55 UTC (7:55–8:55 a.m. CDT). Despite an initial weakening of thunderstorms over western Tennessee during the morning of May 5, the overarching airmass remained unstable and supportive of tornado formation. Supercell thunderstorms formed over the state within this environment by 16:00 UTC (9:00 .a.m. CDT) as temperatures rose above and dew points eclipsed . Eight confirmed tornadoes touched down in Tennessee between 14 and 22 UTC (9 a.m. CDT). One of these tornadoes produced F3-rated damage near
Belleville, Tennessee Belleville is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of t ...
, and was ultimately the day's strongest tornado. The presence of very cold air in the middle and upper levels of the troposphere facilitated another locally favorable environment for severe thunderstorms over southern and eastern
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
after about 21:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT). Some thunderstorms formed in tandem with a
lake breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is a wind that blows in the afternoon from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass. By contrast, a land breeze or offshore breeze is a wind that blows in the night from a landmass toward or onto a large ...
from
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
and then moved along a warm front, producing hail, damaging winds, and several funnel clouds, particularly near the front where wind shear was maximized. The complex of thunderstorms also produced an F1 tornado in
Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Pontiac, and its largest city is Troy. As of the ...
. At around 15:00 UTC (10:00 a.m. CDT), thunderstorms began to form east-southeast of
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, amid a region with a weak capping inversion. Due to the favorable environment downwind, the SPC assessed the likely emergence of tornadic supercells as these storms moved towards the
Ark-La-Tex The Ark-La-Tex (a portmanteau of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; also stylized as Arklatex or ArkLaTex) is a socio-economic region where the Southern United States, Southern U.S. states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas join together. ...
region and accordingly issued a tornado watch for the area. However, no tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Louisiana, or Texas during the day. Despite otherwise supportive conditions for tornadogenesis, rawinsondes launched at 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) suggested that the capping inversion remained in place within the SPC's High Risk region, suppressing the development of storms. Farther east, a mesoscale convective system formed over Mississippi during the evening within an energetic environment supportive of strong updrafts; however, the cluster of thunderstorms weakened after 03:00 UTC (10:00 p.m. CDT) as air pressures increased, resulting in a diminished threat for severe weather. The SPC no longer depicted a high risk of severe weather in their 01:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. CDT) convective outlook, showing at most a moderate risk for severe weather for northern Mississippi and surrounding areas. Overnight, a front extending from eastern Michigan to eastern Oklahoma and an outflow boundary extending from southeastern Arkansas towards Georgia were the primary foci for thunderstorm growth.


May 6

At 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) on May 6, the SPC projected a Moderate Risk of severe weather centered on the
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
, where dew points above and steep lapse rates were expected to foment a highly unstable atmosphere ahead of a rapidly developing low-pressure area and its associated
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface Trough (meteorology), trough of Low-pressure area, low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropica ...
and dry line. Warm temperatures throughout the eastern U.S. were also forecast to contribute to a Slight Risk of severe weather across parts of the Southeastern U.S. and the
Mid-Atlantic states The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the nation's Northeastern and Southeastern states. Traditional definitions include seven U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virg ...
. Winds in the mid-levels of the troposphere were similar to the situation on May 4, shaped once again by a strong storm system over the central and northern Great Plains and the overlap of fast southwesterly winds at altitude with moist air below. The persistence of winds in the mid-levels of the troposphere—resulting in strong wind shear—led to a maintained risk for tornadoes along an outflow boundary near the Tennessee Valley and along a warm front draped over Georgia and the Carolinas during the early morning hours of May 6. A line of severe thunderstorms with a
bow echo A bow echo is the characteristic radar return from a mesoscale convective system that is shaped like an archer's bow. These systems can produce severe straight-line winds and occasionally tornadoes, causing major damage. They can also become ...
apparent on weather radar moved east across northern Georgia and the Carolinas during this period; two F1 tornadoes and an F0 tornado were confirmed over central South Carolina. A second large complex of thunderstorms persisted over Middle Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama during the pre-dawn hours, with the unstable atmosphere and high wind shear creating an attendant risk for supercells, tornadoes, and heavy rain. Among these was a high-precipitation supercell that developed near the warm front in northern Alabama and produced several tornadoes. Ten tornadoes—all rated either F0 or F1—occurred in northern Alabama near the state border with Tennessee between 11 and 16 UTC (6-11 a.m. CDT) amid increasing wind shear. Additional severe thunderstorms in the morning became active over southern
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, eastern Kansas, western Missouri,
Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...
, during the period. At around 17:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. EDT), a line of storms exhibiting rotation on weather radar moved into northern
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, approaching an area where wind shear favored an isolated tornado threat. Over the next two hours, six tornadoes occurred near the Georgia–South Carolina border, of which the strongest was an F2 tornado that tracked across
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...
and Elbert counties in Georgia. Temperatures along a front in Oklahoma had risen to near by 15:00 UTC (10:00 a.m. CDT), producing a highly unstable atmosphere marked by CAPE values ranging between 3000 and 4000 J/kg and lapse rates of around 8.5 °C/km. A broad area of rising air and an unstable atmosphere was also present to the north over eastern Kansas and western Missouri. By 20:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. CDT), a supercell was approaching
Jefferson City Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...
and Columbia in Missouri while cumulus clouds showed signs of further development along a dry line to the south between
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
, and
Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...
. Atmospheric conditions were becoming progressively supportive of severe weather as a low-pressure area strengthened along the Kansas–Oklahoma border; a line of severe thunderstorms soon developed along a warm front over Missouri appended to the low-pressure system as a new line of storms arose to the south over northeastern Oklahoma. The thunderstorms over Missouri evolved into a strong cluster of supercells by 22:40 UTC (5:40 p.m. CDT) and were moving east-southeast into an area centered over southern Illinois with CAPE values near 2500 J/kg and dew points near . These storms persisted into western Kentucky after nightfall, advancing on the leading edge of a localized pool of high air pressure and cold air. There were 24 tornadoes in Missouri, 9 in Illinois, and 9 in Kentucky between 21 and 05 UTC (4 p.m.–12:00 a.m. CDT), including an F3 tornado that struck
Jackson, Missouri Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson metropolitan area Area. The population of Jackson was 15,481 at the 2020 census. History In 1813, ...
, and an F4 tornado that took a path path through southern Illinois. A new area of accelerated winds in the upper levels of the troposphere—known as a jet streak—triggered the formation of storms east of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area and along the cold front over eastern Oklahoma by around 04:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. CDT). An F2 tornado touched down in Wood County, in northeastern Texas at 04:45 UTC (11:45 p.m. CDT) and took a mile path through four counties.


May 7

The SPC predicted a Slight Risk for a broad area of the Eastern and Central U.S. in their 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) Day 1 Convective Outlook for May 7. Several shortwave troughs in the upper levels of the troposphere were expected to track northeastward or eastward across the region, overlapping with a broad and wavy front that extended from
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
to
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
. At the time, a large mesoscale convective system, formed from the merger of supercells and other storms, was producing torrential rainfall over Tennessee and Kentucky with rain rates of per hour. Another complex of severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front advanced across the Ark-La-Tex region after 07:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. CDT) with high wind shear in place; four tornadoes occurred in the region between 5–11 UTC (12–6 a.m. CDT). These storms continued to move east through an unstable environment, with a nearby outflow boundary producing enhanced vorticity supportive of tornado development; crossing several states, the storms reached the
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, area by around 1535 UTC (11:35 a.m. CDT). Additional storms continued to develop farther west over the same states as the surrounding air mass remained unstable with CAPE values between 1500 and 2000 J/kg. Six tornadoes occurred in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas before noon, including an F2 tornado near
Houston, Mississippi Houston is a city and one of two county seats of Chickasaw County, in northeastern Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,623 at the 2010 census. History Native American groups had long used the future Chickasaw County for millennia ...
, that proved to be the only significant tornado during the day. The persistence of warm and moist air with the aid of daytime heating maintained the severe weather potential into the afternoon for the same areas. Fifteen tornadoes, all rated F0 or F1, touched down in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, between 17–1 UTC (12–8 p.m. CDT); most of the day's tornado reports occurred in these states. Thunderstorms sustained over the area into the evening before the surrounding airmass stabilized, resulting in a weakening of the storms by midnight. Another line of storms moved in the Mid-Atlantic region during the afternoon, tracking into an environment supportive of severe weather; three tornadoes occurred in North Virginia and
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
during the afternoon evening as the storms moved southeast, along with damaging winds in the Washington, D.C. area. Conditions were also marginally supportive of supercell thunderstorms in the Dakotas and the
Rust Belt The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
during the day. In the early afternoon, cumulus clouds began to build in the vicinity of
San Angelo San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin (North America), Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert ...
and Junction City in Texas as temperatures warmed above . Although the presence of a capping inversion initially prevented storm development, its subsequent weakening led the SPC to issue a tornado watch for northwestern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma at 22:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. CDT); within an hour, a pair of supercells developed over northwestern Texas. Overnight, a low-level jet with winds of around brought additional moisture into
North Texas North Texas is a term used primarily by residents of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to refer to a geographic area of Texas, generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, Texas, Abilene, west of Paris, Texas, Par ...
and Oklahoma, causing a warm front over Oklahoma to advance north and promoting atmospheric destabilization. Supercells rapidly developed near the warm front by 03:35 UTC (10:35 p.m. CDT) over northern Texas and southern Oklahoma, prompting an issuance of a tornado watch along the Red River; these storms became tornadic and persisted into May 8.


May 8

The SPC predicted that May 8 would be another significant day for severe weather. A negatively-tilted trough was forecast to move northeast across Kansas, prompting
cyclogenesis Cyclogenesis is the development or strengthening of Cyclonic rotation, cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere (a low-pressure area). Cyclogenesis is an umbrella term for at least three different processes, all of which result in the development of ...
in the region along the leeward side of the Rocky Mountains. During the day, a low-pressure area would intensify over southeastern Colorado, forcing a warm front northward from Oklahoma to Kansas and resulting in a weather pattern resembling the severe weather setup from May 4. Clearing skies were expected to allow CAPE values to rise unstable levels of around 3000–4000 J/kg, and, when combined with strong southwesterly winds aloft, were forecast to produce an environment conducive to the development of supercell thunderstorms. The SPC initially projected a Moderate Risk of severe weather over the central Great Plains before raising a High Risk for severe weather on May 8 centered on the Kansas City area. A more conditional risk for severe weather was predicted along a dry line over the southern Great Plains due to the presence of a capping inversion that was forecast to limit the coverage of storms. The cluster of supercells that developed on the evening of May 7 along the Red River near a warm front remained active over the region into the early morning hours of May 8. One large supercell within the cluster produced three F2 tornadoes between 6–8 UTC (1–3 a.m. CDT) in Jefferson,
Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...
, and
Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...
counties in south-central Oklahoma. The same storm continued across eastern Oklahoma before weakening after crossing into Arkansas at around 12 UTC (7 a.m. CDT). Atmospheric conditions remained supportive of storm development further along the warm front to the east towards the Tennessee Valley through the morning hours and into the afternoon before warming air aloft resulted in increased
convective inhibition Convective inhibition (CIN or CINH) is a numerical measure in meteorology that indicates the amount of energy that will prevent an air parcel from rising from the surface to the level of free convection. CIN is the amount of energy required to ...
. Another belt of storms, presenting primarily a threat of large hail, were concurrently active to the north between south-central Nebraska to northwestern Arkansas, supported by strong warm air and moisture advection; these storms also weakened as the influx of warm and moist air diminished. By 16:30 UTC (12:30 p.m. CDT), temperatures within the areas under the SPC's Moderate and High risk regions over the central Great Plains, central Mississippi Valley, and lower
Ohio Valley The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, ...
warmed above with dew points above . Although a capping inversion remained in place, forcing for the uplift of air was expected to be sufficient to overcome the temperature inversion; the SPC indicated that the atmospheric conditions would lead to any emergent storm rapidly organizing into a supercell. At 17:17 UTC (11:17 a.m. MDT), the first of five brief tornadoes confirmed in Colorado during the day—all rated either F0 or F1—touched down in Adams County. The severe thunderstorms in northeastern Colorado had developed with the aid of
orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
and strong vorticity in the upper-levels of the troposphere. The quick formation of cumulus clouds ahead of a low pressure area by around 18 UTC (1 p.m. CDT) over central Kansas indicated that supercell development in the area was imminent. Cumulus clouds were also becoming more numerous and robust ahead of the dry line between southwestern Oklahoma and south-central Kansas. The atmospheric environment in the region had become favorable for severe weather sooner than anticipated with CAPE values reaching above 4500 J/kg and wind shear ranging between . These potent conditions were also present as far south as
Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...
, though the stronger capping inversion farther south meant more widespread severe activity was less likely. The SPC issued a tornado watch for northeastern Colorado, northwestern Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska at 18:30 UTC (12:30 p.m. MDT), followed by a second tornado watch for areas along the dry line in south-central Kansas and central Oklahoma at 18:35 UTC (1:35 p.m. CDT). A third tornado watch was issued for northern Kansas and southern Nebraska at 18:50 UTC (1:50 p.m. CDT) and the air mass overhead became increasingly unstable with CAPE values over 3000 J/kg ahead of a developing low-pressure area in the vicinity of
Russell, Kansas Russell is the most populous city in and the county seat of Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,401. History In 1865, the Butterfield Overland Despatch est ...
. Supercell thunderstorms quickly formed and intensified along and north of a warm front ahead of the strengthening low-pressure area and over Kansas and Nebraska after 20 UTC (3 p.m. CDT), accompanied by the formation of additional storms over eastern Kansas an hour later. The day's first tornado in Kansas was an F0 tornado that touched down in Cloud County at 20:32 UTC (3:32 p.m. CDT). A smaller area of low pressure forming along the dry line near the
Lawton, Oklahoma Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, Oklahoma, Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in western Oklahoma, approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton metropolitan ar ...
, area produced conditions locally supportive of tornadogenesis. The first storms developing in this region initially failed to intensify as a result of the strong capping inversion overhead. However, these storms also caused the capping inversion to gradually diminish; the emergent storms became more sustained after 20:00 UTC (3:00 p.m. CDT). By the evening hours, a broken line of intense supercell thunderstorms were advancing east across eastern Kansas and Oklahoma within a moderately to highly unstable airmass as the pressure of the nearby cyclone deepened to . Two tornadic supercells in Oklahoma produced five tornadoes in the state during the afternoon. One strong supercell within an environment supportive of a strong or violent tornado approached the
Oklahoma City metropolitan area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in Central Oklahoma. It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Oklahoma and contains the state capital and principal city, Oklahoma City. It is often known as the Oklahoma City Metr ...
shortly before 22 UTC (5 p.m. CDT). It spawned three tornadoes, with the final being an F4 tornado that caused significant damage in
Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...
, southeastern
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
,
Midwest City Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in ...
, and
Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
. The second supercell produced an F3 tornado in
Osage County Osage County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Osage County, Kansas * Osage County, Missouri * Osage County, Oklahoma Osage County () is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Created in 1907 when Ok ...
. A total of 21 tornadoes touched down in Kansas during the day, of which 5 were significant tornadoes with the strongest rated F3. One supercell led to five tornadoes in Osage and
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counties in Kansas, including one F3 tornado. The storms over Kansas persisted after 0 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT), with tornadoes reported in eastern Kansas and western Missouri during the evening hours, while the strength of the capping inversion to the south suppressed more widespread severe weather. At 01:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. CDT), the SPC noted that tornadic supercells and conditions conducive to severe weather remained present, though the main risk area shifted east towards the central Mississippi River valley. The final tornado of the day was an F0 tornado in that lifted at 03:04 UTC (10:04 p.m. CDT) in
Johnson County, Missouri Johnson County is a County (United States), county located in western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 54,013. Its county seat is Warrensburg, Missouri, Warrensburg. The ...
. Outside of the highest risk areas for severe weather, the SPC also noted the potential for severe weather in the Tennessee and Ohio river valleys amid the northward advance of a warm front was expected to advect moist and warm air, and around Virginia near a weak and slow-moving cold front. Severe thunderstorms tracked southeast through parts of the Mid-Atlantic states during the afternoon; one F0 tornado was reported in
Essex County, Virginia Essex County is a County (United States), county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County, Virginia, King and Queen County on the s ...
. Widespread thunderstorms—some with
mesocyclone A mesocyclone is a meso-gamma mesoscale (or storm scale) region of rotation ( vortex), typically around in diameter, most often noticed on radar within thunderstorms. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is usually located in the right rear flank ( ...
s—formed over parts of eastern Missouri, Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and western Kentucky during the afternoon in response to the influx of warm and moist air; four tornadoes occurred in these states during the day.


May 9

The SPC projected a Moderate Risk of severe weather for parts of the Central Plains on May 9, assessing the potential for atmospheric conditions in the region to become unstable. CAPE values of 3500–4500 J/kg were anticipated alongside steep lapse rates aloft and strong wind shear. Severe weather was also forecast for the Mid-Atlantic region and the Ohio Valley. As the day progressed, a mid-tropospheric jet stream developed across the Great Plains in response to an intensifying low-pressure region over the
Great Basin The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
and a strengthening ridge of high pressure extending north into the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
. The northward-traveling warm front spanning from North Carolina low-pressure area in eastern Nebraska and a dry line over Kansas and Oklahoma were expected to be foci for the day's severe weather; this same dry line led to the tornadoes in central Oklahoma on May 8 and had moved west. In the early morning hours, a large area of thunderstorms with high
cloud base A cloud base (or the base of the cloud) is the lowest altitude of the visible portion of a cloud. It is traditionally expressed either in metres or feet above mean sea level or above a planetary surface, or as the pressure level corresponding t ...
s was tracking east across northern Illinois within a region of warm air advection, generating large hail and damaging winds despite meager atmospheric instability. By around 17 UTC (1 p.m. EDT), some of the storms had congealed into a mesoscale convective system and were beginning to take a more southward trajectory into
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
and Virginia. Additional thunderstorms developed across eastern West Virginia and northern Virginia over the next hour, prompting the issuance of a tornado watch for the region. Supercells traversed southeast across parts of Virginia and North Carolina throughout the afternoon and into the evening. They reached the
Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...
before 2 UTC (9 p.m. EDT) and eventually weakened as the surrounding air within the
planetary boundary layer In meteorology, the planetary boundary layer (PBL), also known as the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) or peplosphere, is the lowest part of the atmosphere and its behaviour is directly influenced by its contact with a planetary surface. On Ea ...
became more stable. Preliminarily, the eight tornadoes initially reported in Virginia were tied for the second most ever recorded in the state within a 24-hour period. Ultimately, five tornadoes were confirmed in Virginia and nine tornadoes were confirmed in North Carolina on May 9, with the first tornado touching down in
Augusta County, Virginia Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and ...
, at 17:55 UTC (1:55 p.m. EDT) and the final tornado lifting from
Greene County, North Carolina Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,451. Its county seat is Snow Hill. History Greene County, being a part of land grant by King Charles II of England in 1663, ...
at 01:10 UTC (9:10 p.m. EDT); all tornadoes in these two states were rated either F0 or F1. Closer to the main risk region, scattered thunderstorms began to form and strengthen over northwestern Texas by around 14 UTC (9 a.m. CDT) in response to the advection of warm air. Another cluster of potentially severe thunderstorms formed along the Ohio River in the early afternoon in the wake of the storms that moved through West Virginia, and additional storms continued to form in the region through the afternoon and evening in the vicinity of a well-defined warm front. Further convective activity developed in southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois during the afternoon as CAPE values reached over 4000 J/kg, indicative of a highly unstable atmosphere. The storms over Texas and Oklahoma were initially transient but became more sustained as a weak shortwave trough began to traverse the region. More thunderstorms developed along the dry line by the late afternoon over Texas and Oklahoma with conditions remaining favorable for the formation of supercells, including surface temperatures above and dew points above . The air mass to the east of the dry line was also becoming exceptionally unstable; by 23:05 UTC (6:05 p.m. CDT), three tornado watches were in effect along a band from North Texas and central Indiana. After 1 UTC (8 p.m. CDT), winds aloft over Oklahoma strengthened, resulting in increased wind shear and increased tornado potential. One supercell quickly developed along the dry line in Greer County and was marked with a
severe thunderstorm warning A severe thunderstorm warning ( SAME code: SVR) is a type of public warning for severe weather that is issued by weather forecasting agencies worldwide when one or more severe thunderstorms have been detected by Doppler weather radar, observed ...
at 23:32 UTC (6:32 p.m. CDT) as it tracked northeast. This supercell eventually produced ten tornadoes in Oklahoma, accounting for all of the state's tornadoes that day; the first of the tornadoes was an F0 tornado that touched down at 01:50 UTC (7:50 p.m. CDT) in Caddo County, while the final twister lifted at 05:31 UTC (12:31 a.m. CDT) from
Creek County Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,754. Its county seat is Sapulpa. Creek County is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area. History European explorers traveled through t ...
the next day. The strongest of the ten tornadoes was an F3 tornado that hit parts of northeastern Oklahoma City, triggering a
tornado emergency A tornado emergency is an enhanced version of a tornado warning, which is used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States during imminent, significant tornado occurrences. Although it is not a new warning type from the NWS, issue ...
and marking the second consecutive day that tornadoes impacted the Oklahoma City area; this tornado was also the strongest tornado of the day. The supercell later dissipated in northeastern Oklahoma. During the same period, five tornadoes also occurred in northwestern Missouri where storms had been developing throughout the evening along a front, buoyed by the low-level that supported the tornadic activity in Oklahoma; the strongest of these tornadoes was rated F2 and tracked across Lafayette and
Saline Saline may refer to: Salt-related * Saline (medicine), a liquid with salt content to match the human body * Saline water, non-medicinal salt water * Saline, a historical term (especially American) for a salt works or saltern Places United States ...
counties.


May 10

A meteorologist at National Weather Service St. Louis, Missouri, described the weather pattern over the U.S. as "synoptically evident" for severe weather on May 10. A powerful shortwave trough was forecast to move out of the southwestern U.S. into the southern Great Plains during the day, dragging along a portion of the jet stream with winds exceeding . The approach of this jet stream was expected to increase the divergence of air aloft, leading to the cyclogenesis of a low-pressure area over the central Mississippi Valley that would track northeast towards the Great Lakes. This weather pattern would lead to the low-pressure system and its associated frontal boundaries moving through an unstable air mass exhibiting wind shear as high as , leading to a potentially significant outbreak of severe weather. While the SPC initially indicated a Moderate Risk of severe weather for the day for an area centered on the central Mississippi Valley, a High Risk was later delineated for parts of northeastern Missouri and central Illinois in the agency's 13:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. CDT) forecast update as the potential for strong tornadoes became increasingly evident. At around midnight, a low-pressure area was centered over central Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas, with a warm front extended out towards
Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...
. Strong winds aloft brought warm and moist air into the region, leading to enhanced convergence of air and fueling thunderstorm development along the warm front. Some of these storms acquired supercell characteristics. The intense supercell that had produced the tornadoes in Oklahoma the previous day continued into May 10, accompanied by dew points above and a moderately unstable environment characterized by CAPE values between 2500 and 3000 J/kg; the storm spawned a final F1 tornado in Creek County at 05:25 UTC (12:25 a.m. CDT) before dissipating. Another pair of F0 tornadoes occurred in
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
at around 08:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. CDT). Widespread thunderstorms were also active early in the morning between Indiana and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
in connection with a broad swath of rising air within an unstable air mass with dew points approaching . As the warm front over the central U.S. developed further, additional storms initiated over northern Missouri by 11 UTC (6:00 a.m. CDT). These storms organized into a mesoscale convective system and tracked east towards central Illinois along and north of the warm front, later developing a
mesoscale convective vortex A mesovortex is a small-scale rotational feature found in a Thunderstorm, convective storm, such as a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS, i.e. squall line), a supercell, or the eyewall of a tropical cyclone. Mesovortices range in diameter from te ...
. Isolated supercells later developed in the morning over central Illinois and western Indiana, aided by strong winds in the mid-levels of the troposphere and strong wind shear in the lower-levels of the troposphere. Eight tornadoes touched down in Illinois and Indiana between 12 and 17 UTC (7 a.m.–12 p.m. CDT); the strongest of these tornadoes was rated F1. The complex of storms also enhanced the advection of warm air downrange farther east, bolstering the development of thunderstorms farther east by destabilizing the local air mass. This favorable environment for rising air continued to spread east in tandem with a shortwave trough tracking across the Ohio Valley, extending conducive conditions for thunderstorm development eastward to Virginia and North Carolina in the early afternoon. An F3 tornado tracked across
Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...
and
Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...
counties in Kentucky from 20:45–21:25 UTC (4:45–5:25 p.m. EDT); this was Kentucky's only tornado that day. Clusters of supercells developed and persisted over the Ohio Valley and over Virginia and North Carolina through the afternoon and evening, leading the SPC to issue three tornado watches. Farther west, an
outflow boundary An outflow boundary, also known as a gust front, is a storm-scale or mesoscale meteorology, mesoscale boundary separating thunderstorm-cooled air (Outflow (meteorology), outflow) from the surrounding air; similar in effect to a cold front, with ...
remained between
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
and east-central Kansas in the wake of the thunderstorms earlier in the morning, serving as a potential region for rapid thunderstorm development. An
atmospheric sounding Atmospheric sounding or atmospheric profiling is a measurement of vertical distribution of physical properties of the atmospheric column such as pressure, temperature, wind speed and wind direction (thus deriving wind shear), liquid water content, o ...
taken over Oklahoma City at 12 UTC (7 a.m. CDT) indicated that a robust capping inversion was in place over the region, though satellite imagery and radar data also indicated that storms were beginning to develop vertically by around 14:17 UTC (9:17 a.m. CDT). At 16:30 UTC (11:30 a.m. CDT), the SPC expanded the High Risk region to include a wider swath from northeastern Oklahoma to Ohio as confidence increased in an afternoon and overnight tornado outbreak with strong to violent tornadoes materializing. As the area of low pressure over the central U.S. intensified, the air mass over eastern Kansas and western Missouri rapidly destabilized at around 17 UTC (12 p.m. CDT). Warm and moist air also advanced north into southeastern Iowa and western Illinois ahead of the low-pressure region, with conducive conditions for tornadogenesis eventually extending as far north as southern Wisconsin after 23 UTC (6 p.m. CDT) as the low-pressure area quickly strengthened over Iowa. Isolated thunderstorms and towering cumulus clouds began to rapidly form along a dry line over central Oklahoma by around noon, with the local atmospheric conditions supportive of strong tornadoes. Additional supercell thunderstorms quickly emerged over Missouri and eastern Kansas over the next few hours, surrounding by an unstable air mass with CAPE values between 4000 and 5000 J/kg and high wind shear. Though wind shear was high enough to inhibit tornadogenesis, cyclical thunderstorm developments increased the odds of tornadogenesis as the storms tracked east. At 21:02 UTC (4:02 p.m. CDT), an F0 tornado briefly touched down in
Linn County, Missouri Linn County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,874. Its county seat is Linneus. The county was organized January 1, 1837, and named after U.S. Senator Le ...
. Over the next seven hours, 38 tornadoes were documented across primarily rural areas of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Most of these tornadoes were spawned by nine discrete supercells that formed after 19 UTC (2 p.m. CDT) in western Missouri and southeastern Kansas along the dry line. These afternoon and evening storms were also enhanced by the outflow boundary left behind by the morning storms over Missouri: the boundary created a strong
density gradient Density gradient is a spatial variation in density over a region. The term is used in the natural sciences to describe varying density of matter, but can apply to any quantity whose density can be measured. Aerodynamics In the study of supersoni ...
, increased wind shear, and lowered the height of the lifting condensation level, producing a localized area of heightened favorability for tornado formation. Two of the tornadoes—one in Missouri and the other in Illinois—received an F3 rating; these were the highest-rated tornadoes of the day. The longest-tracked tornado of the day, rated F2, touched down near
Canton, Missouri Canton is a city in Lewis County, Missouri, Lewis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,774 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Canton is the home of Culver-Stockton College, a small liberal arts college affiliated with ...
, and lifted near Lima, Illinois, resulting in a tornadic path length spanning . The supercells persisted overnight, tracking towards the Great Lakes region with the nearby low-pressure area continuing to intensify. The day's final tornado lifted from
Woodford County, Illinois Woodford County is a county located in the state of Illinois. The 2020 United States census listed its population at 38,467. Its county seat is Eureka. Woodford County is part of the Peoria metropolitan area. Its name comes from General Will ...
, at 03:35 UTC (10:35 p.m. CDT).


May 11

The SPC predicted that the outbreak of severe weather that began on May 10 would continue into May 11, projecting a High Risk of severe weather over parts of Illinois and Indiana that would continue into the morning hours of May 11; additional severe weather was also expected throughout much of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys as the low-pressure system over Iowa intensified. A strong cold front extending south-southwest from the low-pressure area to northwestern Texas was expected to be a catalyst for severe weather as it swept through a moderately unstable air mass with strong winds throughout much of the troposphere. Many of the thunderstorms active across the Mississippi Valley towards the end of May 10 began to coalesce into linear complexes of storms towards the end of the day. These storms continued into May 11, developing into a
squall line A squall line, or quasi-linear convective system (QLCS), is a line of thunderstorms, often forming along or ahead of a cold front. In the early 20th century, the term was used as a synonym for cold front (which often are accompanied by abrupt a ...
with embedded bow echoes that extended from western Indiana southwestward to the Mississippi River near
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
. The storms were supported by an unstable air mass with dew points above as they tracked east at , producing strong winds and tornadoes. According to the
National Climatic Data Center The United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), previously known as the National Weather Records Center (NWRC), in Asheville, North Carolina, was the world's largest active archive of weather data. In 2015, the NCDC merged with two other ...
, 11 tornadoes touched down in Kentucky and Tennessee between 6–11 UTC (1–6 a.m. CDT), though a 2015 reanalysis conducted by the National Weather Service Nashville, Tennessee, found additional tornadoes that placed the total at 15. The first tornado was an F3 tornado that touched down in
McLean County, Kentucky McLean County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,152. Its county seat is Calhoun and its largest city is Livermore. McLean is a prohibition or dry county. McLean County is part ...
, at around 06:18 UTC (1:18 a.m. CDT). There were two other F3 tornadoes in central Tennessee, with one tracking across both
Hickman Hickman or Hickmann may refer to: People * Hickman (surname), notable people with the surname Hickman or Hickmann * Hickman Ewing, American attorney * Hickman Price (1911–1989), assistant secretary in the United States Department of Commerce * ...
and Williamson counties and the other striking parts of Rutherford County. The squall line persisted into the later part of the morning, moving across eastern Tennessee towards western North Carolina and Virginia. By around 13:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. CDT), the
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
that had intensified over the central and midwestern U.S. over the past day reached the upper Great Lakes region. While the squall line had begun to weaken by this point over the lower Appalachians, the SPC predicted that reintensification of the squall line along
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
was likely. The agency highlighted a Moderate Risk of severe weather across parts of the Mid-Atlantic states, with damaging winds constituting the primary severe weather threat. Warm advection led to the formation and intensification of isolated storms over New York and Pennsylvania by around 14 UTC (10 a.m. EDT). By 14:30 UTC (10:30 a.m. EDT), clearing skies ahead of an advancing cold front led to rapid destabilization of the air mass over eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York, and northern West Virginia, with CAPE values reaching 1000–2000 J/kg amid dew points nearing . The SPC issued a tornado watch an hour later for this destabilizing region. Another tornado watch, tagged as a Particularly Dangerous Situation, was issued by the SPC at 17:50 UTC (1:50 p.m. EDT) for central New York and central and eastern Pennsylvania as showers began to increase ahead of the approaching cold front. Although the SPC anticipated a considerable outbreak of severe weather along the strong cold front the day's severe weather was ultimately isolated and limited to parts of New York and Pennsylvania. There were only two weak tornadoes on May 11 in connection with the storms that passed through this region: an F0 tornado
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. The county is part of the North Central region of the commonwealth. Lycoming County compri ...
, and an F1 tornado in
Wayne County, New York Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 91,283. The county seat is Lyons. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American Revolutionary War hero and American sta ...
. The lack of storm activity despite otherwise conducive atmospheric conditions may have been caused by subsiding air in the mid-levels of the troposphere over the region as a result of convergent winds aloft, limiting the coverage and depth of thunderstorms. The lack of strong thermal gradients where instability was highest also contributed to the lack of severe weather. While the storms that produced the two tornadoes exhibited strong rotation, most storms on May 11 did not produce any substantial severe weather. Unlike in previous days, the day also featured a strong cold front that swept across the U.S., displacing the moist and unstable air mass that had remained over the central and eastern U.S. After May 11, the development of a ridge of high pressure over the Rocky Mountains—as opposed to the persistence of low pressure over the western U.S. in previous days—precipitated the end of the period of severe weather that began on May 3.


Confirmed tornadoes


Kansas City metropolitan area

Northern parts of the
Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
suffered heavy damage from tornadoes on May 4 in what was considered the most significant outbreak for the region since 1977. Five tornadoes occurred in the northland suburbs of Kansas City, of which four were caused by a single supercell; the strongest of these was classified as an F4. All flights via
Kansas City International Airport Kansas City International Airport (originally Mid-Continent International Airport) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri, located northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri., effective May 15, 2025. The airport was ...
were halted and passengers in the terminals were evacuated underground into tunnels for a half-hour. At the height of the storms, the
Kansas City Power and Light Company Kansas City Power and Light Company was an electric utility company serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Plains Energy of which it was the biggest component. The company traces its roots to Novem ...
reported that 33,000 of its electricity customers were without power, including Providence Medical Center where 22 persons were treated for injuries. Despite the severity of the tornadoes and the populations affected, Lynn Maximuk of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in
Pleasant Hill, Missouri Pleasant Hill is a city in Cass and Jackson counties, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,777 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Pleasant Hill is home for the National Weather Service Kansas City/Ple ...
credited the partnerships between the National Weather Service and local emergency and media crews with the relatively low number of casualties. The first tornado in the Kansas City area touched down in
Leavenworth County, Kansas Leavenworth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its county seat and most populous city is Leavenworth. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 81,881. The county ...
and was first noted by
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
officials at around 3:45 p.m. CDT. Initially, the tornado remained over country but began damaging structures after crossing the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
into
Platte County, Missouri Platte County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,718. Its county seat is Platte City. The county was o ...
near the intersection of
Missouri Route 92 Route 92 is a highway in Platte and Clay counties in northwestern Missouri, United States. Its western terminus is a continuation of K-92 on the Centennial Bridge over the Missouri River at the Kansas state line, and the eastern terminus is ...
and North Farley Road. There, sixteen homes experienced minor damage, with the tornado producing a maximum of F1 damage over its -long and -wide track. North of Route 92, major damage to two barns and nearby damage to trees and fences was assessed by survey crews to have been caused by
downburst In meteorology, a downburst is a strong downward and outward gushing wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows radially, that is, in straight lines in all directions from the area of impact at surface level. It originate ...
winds from the parent thunderstorm. A succession of four tornadoes from the same thunderstorm in Kansas City area began with the touchdown of an F2 tornado in southern Leavenworth County at approximately 3:54 pm. CDT. The -long damage path extended from northwest of
Linwood, Kansas Linwood is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 415. It is located along K-32 highway between Lawrence and Bonner Springs ...
to the south of
Basehor, Kansas Basehor is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States which is included statistically in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,896. History In exchange for extensive Delaware hold ...
, with the worst damage occurring to homes near the intersection of 166th Street and Kansas Road. Two people were injured by the tornado. The second tornado—the strongest of the Kansas City tornadoes—began north-northwest of the
Kansas Speedway Kansas Speedway (formerly known as Kansas International Speedway in initial planning and construction stages) is a tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The track, since its inaugural season of ...
at 3:54 pm. CDT in
Wyandotte County, Kansas Wyandotte County () is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City, with which it shares a unified government. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,245, making it Kansas's fourth ...
, initially producing F0–F1 damage. However, the tornado quickly grew in size and intensity, causing F3 damage to two homes south of Parallel Parkway near
Interstate 435 Interstate 435 (I-435) is an Interstate Highway beltway that encircles much of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the states of Kansas and Missouri in the United States. Route description I-435, a loop route of I-35, is long and i ...
and expanding to a width of over . Low-end F4 damage was observed near the intersection of 91st Street and Leavenworth Road; one fatality occurred nearby within a region of F2–F3 damage. The tornado continued into the northeastern portions of Wyandotte County where the twister produced a second region of low-end F4 damage near 79th Street and Cernech Road. Four -tall metal power poles built to withstand winds in excess of were damaged there. The tornado remained damaging but weakened over the remainder of its path, causing F1–F2 damage along the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
across both Wyandotte County and Platte County in Missouri. The tornado crossed into Platte County near Riverside and
Parkville, Missouri Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, Platte County, Missouri, United States and is a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The population was 7,177 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. According to the 2022 census, the ...
at around 4:30 p.m. where it caused damage over a narrower expanse to commercial areas. F1-rated damage was observed after the tornado crossed Interstate 635 before lifting east of the highway at 4:42 pm. CDT in
Clay County, Missouri Clay County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 253,335, making it the fifth-most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Lib ...
. Overall, the F4 tornado killed two people and injured another thirty; one woman succumbed to her injuries seven months later. Communities in its path incurred a $47.5 million damage toll to property, of which $32 million occurred in Wyandotte County and $15.5 million occurred in Platte County. A total of 83 buildings were destroyed and another 582 sustained at least some degree of damage. A new circulation developed northeast of the first F4 tornado and developed into another F4 tornado that impacted the
Gladstone, Missouri Gladstone is a city in Clay County, Missouri, United States and a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City. The City of Gladstone is located about 10–20 minutes from downtown Kansas City, and about 10–20 minutes from Kansas City Internatio ...
area between 4:45–5:00 pm. CDT. Initial damage was wrought to tree and roofs near Shady Lane and Antioch Road, with the severity rated F1. Intensification was quick thereafter, with marginal F4 damage noted in the Carriage Hills subdivision. Roofs and windows were damaged and business signage were destroyed. The tornado continued towards the northeast, causing F1–F3-rated damage before dissipating near
Interstate 435 Interstate 435 (I-435) is an Interstate Highway beltway that encircles much of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the states of Kansas and Missouri in the United States. Route description I-435, a loop route of I-35, is long and i ...
; the total damage toll amounted to $31 million and 13 people were injured. The final tornado in the Kansas City region on May 4 impacted the
Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willia ...
area and was the costliest of those in the metropolitan area. Rated F2, the tornado caused substantial damage at
William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri ...
and at locales near downtown Liberty before lifting around 5:15 pm. CDT over rural areas of Clay County. The most severe damage covered a swath that included eastern parts of the college campus and areas along Excelsior Springs Road, with the overall damage cost totaling $60 million.


Pierce City–Battlefield, Missouri

In
Pierce City, Missouri Pierce City, formerly Peirce City, is a city in southwest Lawrence and northwest Barry counties, in southwest Missouri, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2020 census. According to the 2024 census population estimate, the town is ho ...
, two people were killed following the collapse of a
National Guard Armory A National Guard Armory, National Guard Armory Building, or National Guard Readiness Center is any one of numerous buildings of the U.S. National Guard where a unit trains, meets, and parades. A readiness center supports the training, administrat ...
. One person was killed and widespread damage occurred near the
Clever Clever may refer to: People * Clever (musician), stage name of Joshua Tyler Huie (born 1985) Given name * Clever Ikisikpo, Nigerian politician * Clever Lara (born 1952), Uruguayan artist Surname * Charles P. Clever (1830–1874), American poli ...
and
Billings Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billin ...
communities of
Christian County, Missouri Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 88,842. Its county seat is Ozark, Missouri, Ozark. The county was organized in 1859 and is ...
. Significant damage occurred to infrastructure in
Battlefield, Missouri Battlefield is a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 5,990. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has no post office and shares the ZIP cod ...
, including damage to 400–500 homes. The city's fire station collapsed due to the tornado. Downed power lines forced the closure of roads leading to
Republic, Missouri Republic is a city in Christian and Greene counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 18,750. In 2019, its population was 16,938, making it the second largest city in Greene County in the U.S. stat ...
.


Stockton, Missouri

At 5:31 pm. CDT (22:31 UTC), a tornado began near
Liberal, Missouri Liberal is a city in Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census. Liberal was founded as an atheist utopia in 1880 by lawyer George Walser, who named it after the Liberal League in nearby Lamar. The city ...
. As it moved northeast across Barton County, it uprooted numerous trees and produced F1 damage to outbuildings. The tornado entered
Cedar County Cedar County may refer to: * Cedar County, Iowa * Cedar County, Missouri * Cedar County, Nebraska * Cedar County, Choctaw Nation * Cedar County, Washington, a proposed county made up of part of King County * Cedar County, Utah Territory, a fo ...
and progressed north of Jericho Springs where it destroyed a mobile home consistent with F2 intensity. The tornado remained over generally rural areas and caused solely tree and power line damage prior to reaching the intersection of Highway Z and County Road 825. There, a well-built frame home and two nearby outbuildings were completely destroyed, with their debris scattered across the adjacent roadway. Damage at this location warranted an F3 rating. Continuing northeast, the storm grew to between wide and entered downtown Stockton. In the city, 350 structures were demolished while an additional 650 received major damage. Numerous vehicles were flipped and tossed, including two cars from a local dealership which were blown approximately one block to the northeast of their original location. Damage was consistent with an upper-end F3 here. Three people died in Stockton: one man died after being struck by flying debris after his frame house was destroyed, one man died after being struck by flying debris after leaving his home during the tornado's approach, and one man died after refusing to seek shelter in his basement. Thirty-seven others were injured.


Franklin, Kansas

A large tornado touched down in
Neosho County, Kansas Neosho County is a county located in Southeast Kansas. Its county seat is Erie. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 15,904. The county was named for the Neosho River, which passes through the county. History Early history Fo ...
at 4:32 pm on May 4. The tornado was initially about wide and produced F2 damage as it crossed into
Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County, ...
. Aerial damage surveys indicate an increase in width and intensification as the tornado approached the community of Ringo ( east of Girard), in Crawford County. Dramatic scouring of the ground was observed, homes were swept from their foundations, and heavy objects such as vehicles were tossed long distances (over ). The NWS described the damage in this portion of the track as "high-end F4", though it is speculated that the tornado could have reached F5 intensity in this area. As it passed Ringo and entered the unincorporated town of
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
( north of Frontenac), the path reached over wide at points. Major devastation occurred in Franklin, as numerous buildings and homes were demolished, with some swept away. and Three people were killed in town, and 20 others were injured. The tornado continued producing "high end F4" damage to homes as it passed the town of
Mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
, where a train was derailed from the winds of the storm, and crossed into
Barton County, Missouri Barton County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,637. Its county seat is Lamar. The county was organized in 1855 and named after U.S. Senator David Barton ...
. In Missouri, the twister demolished several farm houses, killing an 88-year-old man. Some of the homes were swept completely away. Its path began to narrow several miles into Missouri; video and eyewitness accounts suggest that the tornado was "roping out" at this point. It finally lifted to the north of
Liberal, Missouri Liberal is a city in Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census. Liberal was founded as an atheist utopia in 1880 by lawyer George Walser, who named it after the Liberal League in nearby Lamar. The city ...
after having traveled for approximately . Almost immediately after the Franklin tornado lifted, a second large tornado was reported to have touched down on the east side of Liberal. The Franklin tornado was covered on an episode of
The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel ...
's ''
Storm Stories ''Storm Stories'' is an American non-fiction television series that airs on The Weather Channel (TWC) and Zone Reality. It is hosted and narrated by meteorologist and storm tracker Jim Cantore. ''Storm Stories'' showcases various types of sever ...
'', and was described by meteorologist
Jim Cantore James D. Cantore (born February 16, 1964) is an American meteorologist, best known as an on-air personality for The Weather Channel. Career A native of Beacon Falls, Connecticut, who was raised in White River Junction, Vermont, Cantore graduat ...
as "one of the most violent tornadoes ever caught on film- a twister that would shred southeast Kansas".


Jackson—Lexington, Tennessee

The tornado touched down in the southwest part of Madison county near Denmark and tracked east through the downtown section of Jackson. The tornado continued to move east and eventually crossed into Henderson county. Nine people were killed in mobile homes between Denmark and Jackson and two other persons were killed in an apartment complex in Jackson. In Jackson, countless buildings were destroyed, particularly in downtown Jackson. St. Luke Episcopal Church, one of the oldest churches in Tennessee built in 1844, was destroyed. The Carl Perkins Civic Center, Tennessee Supreme Court Building, the downtown Jackson Post Office and National Guard Armory were damaged. Also damaged was the Proctor and Gamble factory where Pringles Potato Chips are made and a Coca-Cola bottling plant was also damaged. Denmark Elementary School and Jackson Middle School were destroyed and 24 other schools in the county were damaged. The tornado caused severe damage to the local power and water utilities across the county. One of eight stone balls that were set up to commemorate the eight fatalities from the Jackson tornado of January 17, 1999 was blown across a street. The tornado then produced substantial damage to the city of Jackson continued into Henderson county and moved through the city of Lexington. Thirty-six homes were destroyed and nearly 1,000 homes were damaged. Seven commercial buildings were destroyed and another 73 were damaged including the Everett Horn Library.


Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Four years after an F5 tornado caused incredible damage across much of the
Oklahoma City metropolitan area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in Central Oklahoma. It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Oklahoma and contains the state capital and principal city, Oklahoma City. It is often known as the Oklahoma City Metr ...
during the
1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak was a large, historic, and devastating tornado outbreak that took place across much of the Central United States, with most tornadoes occurring from May 2–5, 1999; scattered activity occurred afterwards unti ...
, another strong tornado affected the area. The storm responsible for the tornado developed across Grady County during the mid-afternoon hours and produced a weak tornado near Newcastle and west of
Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...
. Just after 5:00 pm, a new tornado touched down on the west side of Moore west of
Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...
and moved east northeast across the city; the tornado proceeded to cause damage across southeastern sections of
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, including
Tinker Air Force Base Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City. The ba ...
near Interstate 40, and also near
Midwest City Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in ...
and
Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
. Despite extensive damage along the path, no fatalities were caused by the tornado, although dozens of injuries were reported across
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
and Oklahoma Counties. Within Moore city-limits, the peak damage caused near the center of the tornado was mostly rated as F2, although a few isolated locations received F3-rated damage; F3 damage in Moore was observed near 12th Street where several businesses, two hotels, an office building, a church, several restaurants, a child center and a Headstart Program building were either severely damaged or destroyed. The tornado also damaged numerous homes in the Highland Park subdivision which was mostly destroyed by the F5 tornado which passed just a few blocks north of the May 8, 2003, tornado. Other homes on the north side of the city also sustained significant damage before the tornado crossed the Cleveland-Oklahoma county line. In the Oklahoma City area, the
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
Oklahoma City Assembly Oklahoma City Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. History Construction on the plant started in 1974, and it opened in 1979 to produce the newly designed X-body cars for the 1980 model year. After X-bo ...
sustained major damage as did as a manufacturing plant near Interstate 240 where F4 damage was observed. Several other businesses were either damaged or destroyed. At Tinker Air Force Base, a storage bunker and several fences were damaged. Several subdivisions in eastern Oklahoma City, Choctaw and Midwest City were also affected by the tornado with several homes sustaining significant damage.


Other regions

Several cities in the
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
region were impacted by tornadoes on the evening of May 4. More than 100 buildings in
Crawford County, Missouri Crawford County is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 Census, the population was 23,056. Its county seat is Steelville. The county was organized in 1829 and is named after U.S. Senator Wil ...
were damaged.


Non-tornadic impacts


Southeastern United States

Accompanying the record period of tornadic activity was a significant flood event that impacted parts of the Southeastern United States. A stagnation of the typical eastward movement of storm systems across the United States resulted in the stalling of a warm front over Tennessee, keeping the region in a moist
air mass In meteorology, an air mass is a volume of air defined by its temperature and humidity. Air masses cover many hundreds or thousands of square miles, and adapt to the characteristics of the surface below them. They are classified according to ...
with dew point temperatures above —characteristic of highly moisture-laden air. The floods lasted for eight days, affecting a area and displacing 2,000 people. Rains in southeastern Tennessee beginning on April 30 saturated surfaces and elevated river levels, amplifying a period of heavy precipitation beginning on May 5 that featured repeated passages of thunderstorms over the same areas. The positioning of a high pressure area over the western Atlantic maintained a southerly wind throughout the region, producing a prolonged flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. During the following five days, over of rain would fall across the watersheds of the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers, including more than of rainfall reported over a 35-hour span in McMinn County. The nearby South Chickamauga Creek in
Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
reached a record crest of on May 8. The resulting damage in the Chattanooga area from the swollen tributaries was evaluated at $20 million. The
Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
at Chattanooga reached a
stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
of , within a foot of the record high set in February 1973; riverside flooding prompted the evacuation or rescue of hundreds of individuals from adjacent counties and along its tributaries. Similar impacts were felt in
West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
and
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
, necessitating a 20-county presidential disaster declaration due the floods, tornadoes, and associated severe weather. Flooding along Saunders Fork Creek in
Cannon County Cannon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,506. Its county seat is Woodbury. Cannon County is part of the Nashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan S ...
resulted in the deaths of three people in two vehicles. Another fatality occurred after a driver and their vehicle went airborne in crossing a washed out section of road in Wayne County; a total of 18 roads and bridges were washed out by the flooding in the county. The floods in Wayne County also inundated 100 homes, resulting in the rescue of 50 people. Flood impacts extended southward from Tennessee. Drawing moisture from the moist tropical air mass, thunderstorms associated with the severe weather outbreak on May 7 produced torrential precipitation over Alabama. Northern and northeastern areas of the Greater Birmingham area of Alabama experienced up to of rainfall from several storms over the course of a few hours on May 7, resulting in historic flooding. Radar estimates suggested that as much as fell in some locations in one hour. Throughout Jefferson County—which includes Birmingham—at least 120 thoroughfares were blocked by floodwaters. All roadways in
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and
Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Bro ...
were flooded. Many schools and homes were also inundated, resulting in several rescues and evacuations. Total property damage in the county alone reached $1 billion. Rivers swelled downstream from the accumulated rainfall, impacting areas not directly affected by the storms. An elevated
Tallapoosa River The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United Sta ...
nearly isolated
Wadley, Alabama Wadley is a town in Randolph County, Alabama, Randolph County, Alabama, United States. It is home to the Wadley campus of Southern Union State Community College. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 751, up from 640 in 2000. Acco ...
, with
Alabama State Route 22 State Route 22 (SR 22) is a state highway that extends from Safford in Dallas County to the Georgia state line near Roanoke in Randolph County. The route travels across most of the state from west to east. Route description St ...
connecting Wadley to points east becoming fully submerged. Across Central Alabama, the
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
reported damage to more than 700 homes. Due in part to the heavy rains between May 4–8, May 2003 was the wettest month for
Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...
since 1983. The same storms produced heavy rainfall across the northern and central portions of Georgia. With soils saturated from prior rains, the prolonged precipitation period produced seasonally anomalous runoff that flowed into creeks and rivers, resulting in rapid rises of streams and associated rivers, including Chickamauga Creek,
Conasauga River The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 an ...
,
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
,
Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from th ...
, and Sweetwater Creek. Near
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
, the Chattahoochee River rose to , reaching its highest levels since 1961. The flooding washed out roads, damaged at least 200 residential buildings, and inundated numerous businesses. Two people were killed in the state as a result of the floods overtaking their vehicles. Much of Georgia was also impacted earlier by widespread severe weather on May 2, with large hail or wind damage reported in most counties beginning in the afternoon hours. The primary impacts transitioned from hail to strong
downburst In meteorology, a downburst is a strong downward and outward gushing wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows radially, that is, in straight lines in all directions from the area of impact at surface level. It originate ...
s after sunset as what ultimately became a singular line of storms tracked southward. The largest hail of the day—approximately the size of baseballs—occurred near Trion in Chattooga County. Severe weather swept across
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
on May 6, concentrated in two waves of thunderstorms organized in a mesoscale convective system. The complex originated over northern Georgia and persisted within an unstable airmass. Storm activity resulted in golf-ball-sized hail in four counties while strong winds caused some scattered tree and building damage. A
macroburst In meteorology, a downburst is a strong downward and outward gushing wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows radially, that is, in straight lines in all directions from the area of impact at surface level. It originate ...
in McCormick County destroyed a mobile home and damaged several others due to falling trees, resulting in $80,000 in damage. On May 9, storms in
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
near the state border with Virginia produced large hail and strong winds, cutting power to 1,900 customers of
Progress Energy Inc Progress Energy was a power generation and distribution company. Prior to its merger with Duke Energy, it was a Fortune 500 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. Headquartered in ...
. Hail as large as in diameter was documented in Northampton County, damaging vehicles and homes. A pair of damaging hailstorms impacted the
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
area on May 4. The first took a path from near
Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...
to
Lake Barkley Lake Barkley, a reservoir in Livingston County, Lyon County and Trigg County in Kentucky and extending into Stewart County and Houston County in Tennessee, was impounded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 upon the completion of ...
in Kentucky and dropped hail as large as in diameter near
Calvert City, Kentucky Calvert City is a home rule-class city in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,514 at the 2020 census. History Calvert City was named for Potilla Willis Calvert. He built his home, Oak Hill, in 1860 and around a de ...
, breaking windshields and denting vehicles. Minor damage was inflicted to the roofs of hundreds of homes. One person was injured in Paducah by the hailstorm; this was the first reported hail-related injury in the warning area of National Weather Service Paducah, Kentucky since 1994. Causing tens of millions of dollars in damage, the hailstorm was one of the most destructive in far western Kentucky's history; the damage toll included $10 million in damage for
Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County is a county located in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,659. Its county seat is Benton. It is the only Purchase Area county that does not border another stat ...
and $20 million in damage in nearby
Massac County, Illinois Massac County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 14,169. Established in 1843 and named for a Fort Massac, French fort founded in the ...
. The second storm produced hail from
Pope County, Illinois Pope County is the southeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,763, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organized ...
to
McLean County, Kentucky McLean County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,152. Its county seat is Calhoun and its largest city is Livermore. McLean is a prohibition or dry county. McLean County is part ...
. The storms were complemented by other hailstorms, albeit less significant, across the region. Thunderstorms in the
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
area cut power to 24,000 homes and businesses. On May 5, heavy rains impacted areas of northeastern Kentucky, resulting in flooding along the banks of
Tygarts Creek Tygarts Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Carter and Greenup counties of northeastern Kentucky in the United States. It is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed M ...
and the Little Sandy River; the floods caused $1.3 million in damage. In addition to an F0 tornado-producing storm in the
Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several County (United States), counties and independent city (United States), independent cities in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. ...
, a second severe thunderstorm producing strong winds caused damage in the Virginian suburbs of Washington, D.C. on May 7, downing power lines and trees in
Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington ...
and near
Falls Church Falls Church City is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is part of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of 2020, it has ...
. A microburst with winds of up to downed trees in eastern Warrenton. The same storms persisted into southern
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, downing trees in the
La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...
area and St. Mary's County. On May 8, a fast-moving thunderstorm caused a power outage affecting 4,100 people in
Gloucester County, Virginia Gloucester County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 38,711. Its county seat is Gloucester Courthouse, Virginia, Gloucester Courthouse. T ...
, felling trees and downing power lines. Several damaging severe thunderstorms tracked across Virginia on the following day, producing winds as high as as measured in
Centenary A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
. In addition to damage to infrastructure, one person was killed by a fallen tree in Arvonia. In West Virginia, storms along and south of a warm front produced severe weather and flooding rains, particularly in the
Little Kanawha River The Little Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 169 mi (269 km) long,Gilchrist-Stalnaker, Joy Gregoire. 2006. "Little Kanawha River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Vir ...
watershed. Overflowed banks resulted in inundation in some areas of Webster, Braxton, and
Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated com ...
counties, resulting in over $1 million in damage. Strong thunderstorm winds in
Greenbrier County Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery Counties in Virginia. History P ...
felled trees and power lines, resulting in one injury.


Midwestern United States

Large hail and strong winds were reported across south-central Nebraska on May 4, including gusts as strong as north of Pauline. Hailstorms in the state that day collectively caused about $1.3 million in damage, including the loss of inventory at two car dealerships in the Holdrege area. Softball-sized hail damaged cars and homes near
Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the ...
. Kansas was also impacted by hail and strong winds, resulting in downed power lines. Four days later, 38 freight cars on a
BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
in
Chase County, Kansas Chase County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Cottonwood Falls. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,572. The county was named for Salmon Chase, a U.S. Senator from ...
were derailed by thunderstorm winds, including one car filled with
sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...
. The chemical release prompted the evacuation of about 250 residents and six firemen and law enforcement personnel were treated for respiratory ailments caused by the compound. Exacerbating the significant tornado outbreak, storms along the dry line in Missouri also produced widespread hail on May 4, peaking at near Gladstone. Another bout of storms two days later caused flooding in northern Jefferson County, submerging roads and resulting in one death.
De Soto De Soto commonly refers to * Hernando de Soto (c. 1500 – 1542), Spanish explorer * DeSoto (automobile), an American automobile brand from 1928 to 1961 De Soto, DeSoto, Desoto, or de Soto may also refer to: Places in the United States of Ameri ...
was particularly hard hit, with a school severely damaged by straight-line winds alongside downed trees and power lines. Wind gusts in the De Soto storm were estimated to have been near , destroying 6 single-family homes and inflicting major damage to 27. Flooding was also reported in Phelps County and washed out roads in Laclede County, in addition to producing small hail and minor damage to infrastructure. More severe storms struck the state two days later; in Bates County, hail as large as damaged 1,100 homes and 750 cars, resulting in a $6.75 million damage toll. A wind gust of was measured at
Whiteman Air Force Base Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for Geor ...
, though the site did not sustain any damage. Wind gusts estimated at produced a swath of damage in the Hallsville and Centralia areas, damaging four mobile homes and injuring one person. One person was killed on May 9 after attempting to traverse a low-water crossing in Monroe County. The following day, severe storms in the St. Louis area disrupted power to 10,000 electricity customers and caused flashed flooding in the region. The repeated storm activity brought frequent thunderstorms over Iowa, causing intermittent periods of heavy rainfall and flooding. The heaviest rainfall occurred on May 4, when
Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
set a rainfall record for the day with being reported. Some roads were flooded in the city's metropolitan area with flash flooding occurring in some counties, though the precipitation was overall beneficial for the state's agricultural interests and water supplies. The storms on May 4 also produced scattered hail with sizes generally between across the state. Behind one line of storms, the development of a low-pressure area in their wake produced a swath of winds across eastern Iowa and northern Illinois, doing at least $2 million in damage. A significant hail event took place in eastern Iowa on May 8, additionally affecting northern Missouri and northern Illinois. A car dealership in
Fort Madison, Iowa Fort Madison is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the 2020 census. Located alon ...
reported damage to 400 cars in the city's largest hail event since 1993. Three schools and a golf course were heavily damaged on the south side of
Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000 United States Census, 2000. Burlington ...
; classes were cancelled at those schools following rainwater intrusion via holes created by hail. The hail caused $38 million in damage across eastern Iowa and $12 million in damage across northwestern Illinois. Flash flooding that same day in
Jersey County, Illinois Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 21,512. The county seat and largest community is Jerseyville, with a population of 8,337 in 2010. The county's smallest incorporated c ...
resulted in one fatality. Late on May 9, a cluster of thunderstorms produced a
gravity wave In fluid dynamics, gravity waves are waves in a fluid medium or at the interface between two media when the force of gravity or buoyancy tries to restore equilibrium. An example of such an interface is that between the atmosphere and the oc ...
that resulted in a damaging and narrow band of strong winds that downed trees and power lines, causing a power outage that affected 2,000 people primarily in
Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...
. Additional storms produced similar impacts in northeastern Illinois on May 11, leaving 30,000 people without power. On May 11, the passage of a strong cold front caused widespread wind damage across northern
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. Several weather stations recorded gusts in excess of , resulting in scattered power outages and downed trees and utility poles throughout the region. Similar effects were felt in Indiana,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, and
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
as a result of the frontal passage; in Indiana, 12,000 households were without power during the strongest winds. Several roads were closed due to vehicle accidents or obstructing debris. Some overpasses in
Allen Park, Michigan Allen Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 27,528. Ford Motor Company is an integral part of the community. Many of the company's offices and facilities lie within the city lim ...
were flooded after a fallen light pole cut power to a storm pump station. Strong winds also indirectly caused the leakage of
hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is ...
from a plant in
Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...
after roofing knocked loosed by the wind broke a distribution pipe.


South-Central Plains

Throughout the severe weather outbreak, the
National Climatic Data Center The United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), previously known as the National Weather Records Center (NWRC), in Asheville, North Carolina, was the world's largest active archive of weather data. In 2015, the NCDC merged with two other ...
documented 249 hail events and 42 thunderstorm winds in the state of Oklahoma. Eastern Oklahoma was impacted by tornadoes and strong thunderstorms on May 4. Strong winds reportedly tumbled four to six rail cars near Alderson and destroyed two mobile homes north of Fairland. Blown-down trees were documented across several counties as a result of the strong winds. Choteau,
Jay Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...
, and Grove sustained the brunt of power outages that affected 1,500 energy customers. At Grand Lake, several boat docks were damaged and between 150 and 200 trees were blown down by winds estimated at , resulting in $100,000 in damage. The storms in central Oklahoma on May 8 cut power to 37,000 homes and businesses according to
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (branded as OG+E or "O-G-and-E") is a regulated electric utility company that serves over 843,000 customers in Oklahoma and Arkansas, including 1.5 million people in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. It is the ...
, including half of
Pawhuska, Oklahoma Pawhuska ( Osage: 𐓄𐓘𐓢𐓶𐓮𐓤𐓘, ''hpahúska'', lit.: ''White Hair''; Chiwere: ''Paháhga'') is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,98 ...
.


Aftermath

In the aftermath of the May 4 tornadoes, Missouri governor
Bob Holden Robert Lee Holden Jr. (born August 24, 1949) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of Missouri from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the Missouri state treasurer from 1993 to 2001 an ...
petitioned the federal government to declare a federal disaster for 39 counties while Kansas governor
Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius (; née Gilligan, born May 15, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 21st United States secretary of health and human services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius was instrumenta ...
issued disaster or emergency declarations for several counties—
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
, Crawford, Labette, Leavenworth, Neosho, and Wyandotte; U.S. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
later issued federal disaster declarations for these states, authorizing the allocation of federal disaster funds through the
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
(FEMA). FEMA director
Michael D. Brown Michael DeWayne Brown (born November 8, 1954) is an American attorney, and former government official who served as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 2003 to 2005. He joined FEMA as general counsel in 2001 a ...
designated Michael J. Hall as the coordinator for federal relief efforts in response to the tornadoes. Visiting the Northmoor, Missouri, Holden remarked that the damage was "the worst I've seen from a tornado in several years," later noting in during his visit of Pierce City that the May 4 storms were "the most devastating series of tornadoes we've ever had in the state of Missouri." Emergency shelters were opened in Madison County, Tennessee as the county largely lost access to electricity and water following a May 4 tornado. The
American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
of Central Oklahoma sent relief crews and emergency response trucks to Springfield, Missouri to deliver food and supplies. The Oklahoma City chapter of
Feed the Children Feed the Children, established in 1979 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization focused on alleviating childhood hunger. Its mission is "providing hope and resources for those without life's essentials." The orga ...
also dispatched supplies to Kansas City, Missouri. The 203rd Engineer Battalion of the
Missouri Army National Guard The Missouri National Guard (MONG), commonly known as the Missouri Guard, is a component of the Army National Guard and Missouri State Department of the National Guard. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard units. The Department office is ...
bound for deployment in the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
aided relief efforts in Pierce City, Missouri. In 2004, The Storm Prediction Center and five National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices were awarded the
Department of Commerce Gold Medal Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
—the highest award issued by the department—for "providing life-saving services during a record outbreak of tornadoes during the period of May 4–6, 2003."


See also

*
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America. #''The listing is U.S.-centric, with greater and more consistent information available for U.S. tornadoes. Some North America ...
*
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes This is a list of tornadoes which have been officially or unofficially labeled as F5, EF5, IF5, T10-T11, the highest possible ratings on the various tornado intensity scales. These scales – the Fujita scale, the Enhanced Fujita scale, the In ...
* May 1995 tornado outbreak sequence * Tornado outbreak of May 2019 *
List of Cleveland County, Oklahoma tornadoes This is a list of tornadoes reported in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, Oklahoma. Cleveland County is located in Tornado Alley and experiences tornadoes frequently. The city of Moore, Oklahoma, Moore is located within the county and ...


Notes


References


External links

;Overall
May 2003 Tornado Statistics
(SPC, NOAA)
NWS Service AssessmentNCDC Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters Summary
(Russell S. Schneider, Harold E. Brooks, and Joseph T. Schaefer,
American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance the atmosph ...
)
May 2003 Events
(NWS Little Rock, Arkansas)
Memphis National Weather Service Perspective of the Severe Weather Outbreak of May 2003 – Focus on the F4 Madison County, Tennessee Tornado
(NWS Memphis, Tennessee)
Worst Week Ever For Twisters
(
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...
)
NOAA: Cold Front Spawns Super-Cell Storms, Deadly Tornadoes in Central Plains States
* (2004)

Session 12, ''22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms'',
American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance the atmosph ...
. ;April 30 – May 3
National Weather Service storm survey results for April 30, 2003
(NWS Quad Cities, Iowa/IL)

(NWS Little Rock, Arkansas) ;May 4–5
Severe Weather Event – May 4, 2003
(NWS Kansas City, Missouri)
Tornadoes Rip Across Southeast Kansas and the Missouri Ozarks May 4th 2003
(NWS Springfield, Missouri)

(Little Rock, Arkansas)
Summary of the May 4–5, 2003 Middle Tennessee Tornadoes
(NWS Nashville, Tennessee)

(NOAA News) * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20051124011121/http://mcc.sws.uiuc.edu/climate_midwest/historical/may0403svrwx.htm May 4, 2003 Severe Weather Outbreak( Midwestern Regional Climate Center)
Pierce City Rebuilds
(USA Today)

– Images and videos of the Kansas City Tornadoes

– Twister Sister images of the Kansas City Tornadoes ;May 6–7
May 6, 2003 Tornado Outbreak
(NWS Paducah, Kentucky)

(NWS Little Rock, Arkansas)
Severe Weather & Flooding of May 7, 2003
(NWS Birmingham, Alabama) ;May 8
May 8, 2003: Central Oklahoma Tornadoes
(NWS Norman, Oklahoma) ;May 9
May 9, 2003: Central Oklahoma Tornadoes
(NWS Norman, Oklahoma) ;May 10
Storm Survey Results for the May 10, 2003 Event
(NWS Quad Cities, Iowa/IL)
The Tornadoes of May 10, 2003
(NWS St. Louis) ;May 11
Summary of the May 11, 2003 Middle Tennessee Tornadoes
(NWS Nashville, Tennessee) {{DEFAULTSORT:2003-05-03 Tornado Outbreak F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes 05-03 Tornadoes in Alabama Tornadoes in Arkansas Tornadoes in Colorado Tornadoes in Georgia (U.S. state) Tornadoes in Illinois Tornadoes in Kansas Tornadoes in Kentucky Tornadoes in Maryland Tornadoes in Mississippi Tornadoes in Missouri Tornadoes in Oklahoma Tornadoes in Tennessee Tornadoes in Wisconsin Tornado, 05-03 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, 03 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, 05-03 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, 03