The tornado width ranged from 200 to 500 yards. [72] By 20:00UTC (3:00p.m. CDT), a supercell was approaching Jefferson City and Columbia in Missouri while cumulus clouds showed signs of further development along a dry line to the south between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Abilene, Texas. Several weather stations recorded gusts in excess of 40mph (64km/h), resulting in scattered power outages and downed trees and utility poles throughout the region. "It's unbelievable it could do this much damage," said Fischer, 50. National Weather Service All roadways in Leeds and Brookside were flooded. The first took a path from near Cairo, Illinois to Lake Barkley in Kentucky and dropped hail as large as 2.75in (70mm) in diameter near Calvert City, Kentucky, breaking windshields and denting vehicles. After leaving a path of destruction from near Ewing northeast to the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway P, the tornado entered the Canton area about 6:25 pm CDT. [270][271] Wind gusts in the De Soto storm were estimated to have been near 100mph (160km/h), destroying 6single-family homes and inflicting major damage to 27. [69][70] Over the next two hours, six tornadoes occurred near the GeorgiaSouth Carolina border, of which the strongest was an F2tornado that tracked across Madison and Elbert counties in Georgia. Rated F2, the tornado caused substantial damage at William Jewell College and at locales near downtown Liberty before lifting around 5:15pm. After the Civil War left this southwest Missouri town in tatters, residents rebuilt the town square with brick and stone, thinking it would stand the test of time. Risk Level: Very High Yearly Avg. [262] In West Virginia, storms along and south of a warm front produced severe weather and flooding rains, particularly in the Little Kanawha River watershed. Weather Disasters Summary, Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (18752003), Memphis National Weather Service Perspective of the Severe Weather Outbreak of May 2003 Focus on the F4 Madison County, Tennessee Tornado, OK-FIRST Case Study: The Tornado Outbreaks of May 2003, NOAA: Cold Front Spawns Super-Cell Storms, Deadly Tornadoes in Central Plains States, Studies of the May 2003 tornado outbreaks, National Weather Service storm survey results for April 30, 2003, Tornadoes Rip Across Southeast Kansas and the Missouri Ozarks May 4th 2003, Summary of the May 45, 2003 Middle Tennessee Tornadoes, Cold Front Spawns Supercell Storms, Deadly Tornadoes in Central Plains States, Kansas City, KS May 4, 2003 "The 5-4-3 Tornado Outbreak", Storm Survey Results for the May 10, 2003 Event, Summary of the May 11, 2003 Middle Tennessee Tornadoes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tornado_outbreak_sequence_of_May_2003&oldid=1136143347, 2003 natural disasters in the United States, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Pages using infobox storm with notes parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 42deaths (+9non-tornadic deaths), 652injuries (+52non-tornadic injuries), This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 23:21. This created an anomalously large warm sectorthe airmass behind a warm front and ahead of a dry linefor thunderstorms to develop within. [286] The hail caused $38million in damage across eastern Iowa and $12million in damage across northwestern Illinois. Winter Weather The Tornado Outbreak of April 9th, 2020 were a series of deadly, destructive and costly tornadoes that struck portions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, causing a number of fatalities and injuries. Skywarn Spotter, Other Programs These factors were forecast to provide a conducive environment for severe weather across much of the U.S.; the SPC would delineate moderate risks[note 2] 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. A Great Southern bank branch was left roofless. The Tennessee River at Chattanooga reached a stage of 36.1ft (11.0m), within a foot of the record high set in February1973; riverside flooding prompted the evacuation or rescue of hundreds of individuals from adjacent counties and along its tributaries. The SPC initially projected a Moderate Risk of severe weather over the central Great Plains before raising a High Risk for severe weather on May8 centered on the Kansas City area. 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. The Stockton tornado occurred in an isolated thunderstorm that developed over Rooks County, Kansas at around 19:20 CDT. Our congregation has been a part of the Stockton community since 1901, first in the historic downtown andafter the 2003 Stockton tornadoat our current location west of Stockton town square. The northern storm was about 200-300 yards wide while the southern storm was about 100 yards wide. Numerous reports of funnel clouds were reported by National Weather Service trained spotters and Chaser as the supercell moved east across McDonald and Newton Counties before the tornado touched down about three miles east of Ritchey and west of Pierce City. HERMLEIGH, Tex. Four years after an F5 tornado caused incredible damage across much of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area during the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, another strong tornado affected the area. 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. Multiple locations were found. The resulting damage in the Chattanooga area from the swollen tributaries was evaluated at $20million. Due to the favorable environment downwind, the SPC assessed the likely emergence of tornadic supercells as these storms moved towards the Ark-La-Tex region and accordingly issued a tornado watch for the area. The tornado produced F1 damage to some out buildings and uprooted numerous trees as it moved across the northeastern portion of the county. SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (CBS13) - The National Weather Service confirmed that a weak tornado touched down between Isleton and Stockton as extreme weather rolled through Northern California on Thursday. #MOwx STOCKTON, KS - Several supercells developed from Texas to Nebraska on Thursday, June 9, producing numerous tornadoes across several states. Warmer air surged north during the day with temperatures rising into the 70s across southeast Kansas and far southwest Missouri by mid afternoon. [78][79] There were 24tornadoes in Missouri, 9 in Illinois, and 9 in Kentucky between 2105UTC (4p.m.12:00a.m. CDT), including an F3tornado that struck Jackson, Missouri, and an F4tornado that took a path 33mi (53km) path through southern Illinois. The storms were complemented by other hailstorms, albeit less significant, across the region. [19], The SPC predicted that the outbreak of severe weather that began on May10 would continue into May11, projecting a High Risk of severe weather over parts of Illinois and Indiana that would continue into the morning hours of May11; additional severe weather was also expected throughout much of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys as the low-pressure system over Iowa intensified. The storm initially entered Dallas county near the Hickory-Polk-Dallas County line southwest of Urbana. [184], Farther west, an outflow boundary remained between St. Louis, Missouri and east-central Kansas in the wake of the thunderstorms earlier in the morning, serving as a potential region for rapid thunderstorm development. A large tornado touched down near Fort Stockton, in west Texas, amid multiple severe weather warnings on Sunday, May 1. Video sent to us by viewer Jeremy Johnson on Thursday showed a funnel cloud forming in Stockton during stormy weather. It was again rated as an F-2 just south of Quaker and rated an F-3 (158 - 206 MPH) just southwest of Badger. [237] During the following five days, over 9in (230mm) of rain would fall across the watersheds of the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers, including more than 12in (300mm) of rainfall reported over a 35-hour span in McMinn County. [19][23] One of these tornadoes produced F3-rated damage near Belleville, Tennessee, and was ultimately the day's strongest tornado. [160] One supercell quickly developed along the dry line in Greer County and was marked with a severe thunderstorm warning at 23:32UTC (6:32p.m. CDT) as it tracked northeast. The tornado width was from one quarter mile to 600 yards wide but the debris path was over a mile wide. [19][126] A smaller area of low pressure forming along the dry line near the Lawton, Oklahoma, area produced conditions locally supportive of tornadogenesis. Some said the twister had gone through the town like a giant lawn mower, sheering giant oaks as if they were blades of grass and piling the wreckage of homes and businesses in heaps. It destroyed businesses and homes on that Sunday. CDT). Total property damage in the county alone reached $1billion. [220] The second tornadothe strongest of the Kansas City tornadoesbegan north-northwest of the Kansas Speedway at 3:54pm. Of the watches, 25 were classified as Particularly Dangerous Situations, a type of watch reserved for the most life-threatening events. All risks imply that well-organized severe thunderstorms are anticipated. [239] 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 18roads and bridges were washed out by the flooding in the county. Abstract On 15 May 1999, a storm intercept team from the University of Oklahoma collected high-resolution, W-band Doppler radar data in a tornado near Stockton, Kansas. Near West Point, the Chattahoochee River rose to 23.2ft (7.1m), reaching its highest levels since 1961. Strong on May 4, 2003. Multiple shortwave troughs initiated tornadic events throughout the outbreak. 6. The chemical release prompted the evacuation of about 250residents and six firemen and law enforcement personnel were treated for respiratory ailments caused by the compound. multiple tornadoes (Bluestein et al. The original image was forwarded around the Internet in the wake of a series of violent storms which hit Missouri in March 2006, with 44 different tornadoes touching down in the state on March 11 . Supercell thunderstorms produced at least 15 tornadoes that resulted in extensive damage and 25 fatalities. [31][32] As the low pressure system intensifiedits central pressure falling 6.6mbar (hPa; 0.19inHg) in 2hoursconditions continued to become more favorable for the formation of strong tornadoes. Some said the twister had gone through the town like a giant lawn mower, sheering giant oaks as if they were blades of grass and piling the wreckage of homes and businesses in heaps. CDT over rural areas of Clay County. [257] On May5, heavy rains impacted areas of northeastern Kentucky, resulting in flooding along the banks of Tygarts Creek and the Little Sandy River; the floods caused $1.3million in damage. CDT). [21], May4 was the most active day of the tornado outbreak sequence: the SPC received 94tornado reports, though surveys and reanalyses confirmed 79tornadoes. This portion of the tornado track in Neosho County was rated by the Wichita National Weather Service Office. s-1), in the Stockton, Kansas tornado of 15 May 1999, showing a prominent wavenumber-2 feature. The tornadic storm, called a supercell, earlier produced a deadly tornado in northern Dallas County then moved across the northwest corner of Laclede County before again producing a tornado to the southwest of Camdenton near Tunnel Dam Road. [288] Late on May9, a cluster of thunderstorms produced a gravity wave that resulted in a damaging and narrow band of strong winds that downed trees and power lines, causing a power outage that affected 2,000people primarily in Freeport, Illinois. Many schools and homes were also inundated, resulting in several rescues and evacuations. The city has a similar plan for recovery After the storm that officials say killed three people, no one is envying the task of starting all over _ again. Wind W 9 mph. [3], Northern parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area suffered heavy damage from tornadoes on May4 in what was considered the most significant outbreak for the region since 1977. [310], Visiting the Northmoor, Missouri, Holden remarked that the damage was "the worst I've seen from a tornado in several years,"[216] later noting in during his visit of Pierce City that the May4 storms were "the most devastating series of tornadoes we've ever had in the state of Missouri. Application of this technique to the 15 June 1999 Stockton, Kansas tornado radar data set An intense upper level jet stream streaked across the southern Plains while a strong upper level disturbance lifted northeast from the central Rockies into central Plains. [131] One strong supercell within an environment supportive of a strong or violent tornado approached the Oklahoma City metropolitan area shortly before 22UTC (5p.m. Length: ~33 miles Width: 1/4 to 1/2 mile Time: ~530 - 624 p.m. Initial damage was wrought to tree and roofs near Shady Lane and Antioch Road, with the severity rated F1. Data courtesy of NOAA Severe Weather Database. [35], 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, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee at 23:55UTC (6:55p.m. [236], Several cities in the Ozarks region were impacted by tornadoes on the evening of May4. A dry line extended south of the cyclone over areas east of Dodge City, Kansas. FAA Center Weather At this point, the storm appears to be two tornados running parallel to each other about a quarter of a mile apart. [19][35] The same storm continued across eastern Oklahoma before weakening after crossing into Arkansas at around 12UTC (7a.m. First, a high end F-4 (207 - 260 MPH) struck the communities of Ringo and Franklin in eastern Crawford County, and continued to just northwest of Liberal, MO. . [146] Supercells traversed southeast across parts of Virginia and North Carolina throughout the afternoon and into the evening. [216] The tornado continued towards the northeast, causing F1F3-rated damage before dissipating near Interstate 435;[215] the total damage toll amounted to $31million and 13people were injured. [19] These storms continued to move east through an unstable environment, with a nearby outflow boundary producing enhanced vorticity supportive of tornado development;[86] crossing several states, the storms reached the Atlanta, Georgia, area by around 1535UTC (11:35a.m. ``Im not sure where the roof landed, said Doug Marrs, a bank vice president who was helping ensure that no confidential papers of the branchs clients were out in the open. Intensification was quick thereafter, with marginal F4damage noted in the Carriage Hills subdivision. All NOAA. Deke Farrow jfarrow@modbee.com. At this point we observed scouring of the field below and the tornado was rated an F-4 based on the type and scope of structural damage and very heavy objects such as vehicles being tossed several hundred feet away from their original position. The tornado initially touched down just east of Liberal, MO in Barton County as an F-1. From the Neosho and Crawford County line, or six miles north northwest of McCune F-2, damage was observed as the tornado moved east northeast until it reached about two miles south of Girard were the tornado intensified. CDT). [83][84] Another complex of severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front advanced across the Ark-La-Tex region after 07:00UTC (2:00a.m. CDT) with high wind shear in place;[85] four tornadoes occurred in the region between 511UTC (126a.m. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [130], Two tornadic supercells in Oklahoma produced five tornadoes in the state during the afternoon. Meanwhile, a dry line surged east into eastern Kansas during the afternoon marking the boundary of very dry air to the west where dewpoints were in the 30s to the very moist air to the east where dewpoints were near 70 degrees. [39] Southerly winds had continued to bring tropical air into the region, raising surface temperatures to near 80F (27C) and bringing dew points above 70F (21C) by 03:00UTC (10:00p.m. CDT). Questions? Weather maps of the continental U.S. at 12:00UTC (7:00a.m. CDT) on May10, Winds and height of the 500mb (hPa; 14.77inHg), Damages wrought by the tornado in Gladstone, Missouri, Radar shot of the Moore/Oklahoma City supercell at its peak intensity in southeastern OKC, Storm Prediction Center (SPC) local storm reports received between May311, 2003, A significant tornado is one that is rated F2or higher on the. [228] Downed power lines forced the closure of roads leading to Republic, Missouri. [53][54], At around 15:00UTC (10:00a.m. CDT), thunderstorms began to form east-southeast of Dallas, Texas, amid a region with a weak capping inversion. This tornado was one of the most devastating events of the May 3-11, 2003 outbreak sequence. CDT). San Francisco, CA warning 49 . [19] 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. [297] At Grand Lake, several boat docks were damaged and between 150 and 200trees were blown down by winds estimated at 80mph (130km/h), resulting in $100,000in damage. Application of this technique to the 15 June 4. Lows in the mid 20s. [35] At 01:00UTC (8:00p.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,[38] outlining that "a dangerous tornado situation [was] developing along the warm front" between northeastern Arkansas and western Tennessee and that any developing storms would rapidly assume supercell characteristics. Atop the northward surface winds, the upper-level jet stream blew almost perpendicular, creating strong wind shear across Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Another generator had sewer operations functioning again, and at least some electricity service was expected by Tuesday night. [256] 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 $10million in damage for Marshall County, Kentucky and $20million in damage in nearby Massac County, Illinois. [19] The complex of thunderstorms also produced an F1tornado in Oakland County. of Tornados in Stockton, MO 2 [26] 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. Hailstorms in the state that day collectively caused about $1.3million in damage, including the loss of inventory at two car dealerships in the Holdrege area. A large tornado touched down near Fort Stockton, in west Texas, amid multiple severe weather warnings on Sunday, May 1.The National Weather Service urged anyone in the path of the tornado to seek shelter immediately.Storm chaser Timothy Logan filmed this video of the tornado approximately "midway through its lifecycle".Logan told Storyful the tornado system "lasted nearly ten minutes . [35][19][131] The second supercell produced an F3tornado in Osage County. Watches were continuously in effect from 16:40UTC on May4 through 12:00UTC on May9. The floods in Wayne County also inundated 100homes, resulting in the rescue of 50people. Three dominant supercells formed as the storms moved into southwest Missouri. [104] Supercells rapidly developed near the warm front by 03:35UTC (10:35p.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 May8. [43] The SPC predicted May5 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 16:30UTC (11:30a.m. CDT) on May5 for areas surrounding the border between Arkansas and Louisiana;[44][45] the anticipated overlap of 5055kt (6065mph, 95100km/h) wind shear and CAPE exceeding 3000J/kg was cited as contributing factors to the day's anticipated supercell development and consequential high risk for severe weather. Blown-down trees were documented across several counties as a result of the strong winds. Rancho Calaveras, Valley Springs, San Andreas, Valley Springs and Campo Seco are under a warning until 6 p.m. Reports of strong rotations are appearing on the radar. CDT. 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 was likely. Stockton: The Cedar County Courthouse was one of only two downtown buildings not destroyed by the May 4th 2003 tornado Stockton: Stockton Lake View just as the sun is going down. Continuing northeast, the storm grew to between 0.50.75mi (0.801.21km) wide and entered downtown Stockton. Forestburg, TX. It remained an F-4 east of Franklin to just south of Mulberry, KS. NWS Survivors recall deadly May 4, 2003 tornado The first of these tornadoes touched down in southern Leavenworth County just before 4 p.m. north of Linwood and south of the Kansas Turnpike, near. Another generator had sewer operations functioning again, and at least some electricity service was expected by Tuesday night. In several areas along the tornado path, some trees were stripped of all bark. "The word devastation doesn't do it justice. Grazulis. EDT). However, several large trees right next the house and in back were uprooted or snapped off indicating the power of the tornado. Gone, along with the drive-through area. 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. One of the hardest hit communities was Stockton, Mo. [2] 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. [80] An F2tornado touched down in Wood County, in northeastern Texas at 04:45UTC (11:45p.m. CDT) and took a 54.4-mile (87.5km) mile path through four counties. His identity has not been released. Thirty-five sector scans were obtained over a period of approximately 10 min, capturing the tornado life cycle from just after tornadogenesis to the decay stage. [118][122] A third tornado watch was issued for northern Kansas and southern Nebraska at 18:50UTC (1:50p.m. CDT) and the air mass overhead became increasingly unstable with CAPE values over 3000J/kg ahead of a developing low-pressure area in the vicinity of Russell, Kansas. [236], In the Oklahoma City area, the General Motors Oklahoma City Assembly sustained major damage as did as a manufacturing plant near Interstate 240 where F4 damage was observed. In addition, a van had been blown onto the road and a pickup truck was flipped over in the ditch also warranting a high F-3 rating. A strong tornado struck Canton, MO during the early evening hours on May 10, 2003. [214][215] All flights via Kansas City International Airport were halted and passengers in the terminals were evacuated underground into tunnels for a half-hour. Climate Science As thunderstorms sweep through California's Central Valley Tuesday, there's a possibility a tornado or two could strike the area. Almost immediately after the Franklin tornado lifted, a second large tornado was reported to have touched down on the east side of Liberal.