SEVERE WEATHER STRIKES NATION’s HEARTLAND FOR THIRD DAY IN A ROW

May 7, 2003 — Severe weather hit the nation’s heartland for the third day in a row Tuesday, with tornadoes again causing fatalities. Severe storms spawned tornadoes in 13 states in the central and southern United States, according to the NOAA National Weather Service. (Click NOAA image for larger view of damage to a home one-and-a-half miles southwest of Bartlett, Kan., taken May 5, 2003. Please credit “NOAA.”)

On the same day federal disaster declarations were made for seven counties in Kansas and 39 in Missouri, another outbreak of tornadoes tracked from Kansas and Oklahoma through central Missouri and into southern Illinois and western Kentucky. Tornadoes were also reported in Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina.

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., recorded 50 reports of tornadoes, 151 other wind damage reports and 249 large hail reports.

For the third day in a row, Missouri took the brunt of the storms with 19 tornado reports. There was extensive damage in De Soto, Mo., about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. Reports indicated a tornado hit the town at about 7:45 p.m. CDT, destroyed a school gymnasium and caused extensive damage to the local elementary school and the high school. A coach and several students who were in the gym were safe after taking shelter in the building’s basement.

Other buildings in town were reported to have collapsed, and rescue workers had to wend their way through rubble to give assistance. Heavy rains and resultant flooding also hampered rescue efforts in the hilly terrain.

The storm impacted much of the southern St. Louis metro area with reports of strong winds, hail and heavy rain. Golfball-size hail was reported near Union, Mo., where a downed tree and 4 feet of runoff water forced the closing of westbound Interstate 44 in St. Clair.

The storm system moved into southern Illinois, leaving at least two people dead. Forecasters at the NOAA Paducah forecast office issued warnings for tornadoes in Massac, Pulaski, Pope and Alexander counties in southern Illinois. Local officials reported single fatalities in Massac and Pulaski counties. State and NOAA Weather Service personnel planned to assess damage to the stricken areas Wednesday.

Forecasters at the Paducah office also issued warnings after 11 p.m. CDT Tuesday for Ballard County, McCracken County, northern Graves County and southern Livingston County in Kentucky. Tornado warnings were also issued as the storms rolled through Bolinger and Cape Girardeau counties in Missouri.

Numerous flash flood warnings were issued throughout the storm track.

A third wave of tornadoes developed throughout the southeast Tuesday spawning at least 14 twisters from eastern Texas through South Carolina. Once again, some of the most active weather was concentrated in previously hard hit eastern Tennessee and northern portions of Mississippi and Alabama. While numerous injuries and property damage were associated with the latest round of tornadoes, no new deaths were reported.

However, a fourth flood-related death has been confirmed in Tennessee. A 36-year-old man drowned after driving his vehicle into a low water crossing in Wayne County. Three elderly people died the previous day when their cars were swept into a swollen creek in Cannon County. Flash flood and river flood warnings were issued Tuesday across portions of northern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and much of Tennessee. Rainfall averaged 3 to 5 inches across the area, with up to 10 inches in parts of eastern Tennessee.

Farmers with land along the Ohio River in the Paducah area were also concerned the rising river might cost them their 2003 harvests. The river is forecast to rise by 14.1 feet by the end of the week, according to Jim Packet at WFO Paducah. Packett said the Ohio rose 1.5 feet Tuesday (from 17.3 feet to 18.8 feet). Current forecasts call for a rise to 23 feet Wednesday, 27.9 feet Thursday and to 31.4 feet Friday. A 34.5-foot crest is expected Sunday. Any additional rains, Packett noted, will make the river rise even more.

While farmers were concerned about flooded fields, city officials said the crest would be well below a level to cause residential flooding. Flood walls protect the city to more than 45 feet.

Far removed from the killer storm system, a weak tornado was spotted by an off-duty Weather Service employee from the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area of Arizona late Tuesday morning. Lead forecaster David Blanchard, from WFO Flagstaff, spotted the oddity while climbing the north face of Humphreys Peak. Blanchard said the twister touched down about 11:47 a.m. MDT in the northwest portion of Wupatki National Monument and lasted about four minutes.

Additional severe weather is possible Wednesday in northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, central Mississippi, northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The forecast for Thursday calls for a slight risk of severe weather in most of Nebraska, eastern Kansas, most of Missouri, extreme northeast Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas and southwest Iowa.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites
Fujita Tornado Damage Scale with Damage Photos

NOAA National Weather Service Central Region — Links to Photos, Graphics and Radar Images of Tornado Outbreak

NOAA Storm Prediction Center Roundup

NOAA Floods Page

NOAA Tornadoes Page

NOAA Storm Watch

NOAA National Weather Service

Media Contacts:
Patrick Slattery, NOAA Weather Service Central Region, (816) 891-8914; Ron Trumbla, NOAA Weather Service Southern Region, (817) 978-1111, ext. 140 or Keli Tarp, NOAA Storm Prediction Center, (405) 366-0451
(Photo courtesy of NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wichita, Kan.)