MAY 2003 VOLUME 45 NUMBER 5 SSTORMTORM DDATAATA AND UNUSUAL WEATHER PHENOMENA WITH LATE REPORTS AND CORRECTIONS NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION noaa NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE, DATA AND INFORMATION SERVICE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER, ASHEVILLE, NC COVER: Five tornadoes touchdown in the Kansas City metropolitan area on May 4, 2003. One such tornado touchdown near Gladstone, Missouri and strengthened to F4 intensity. F4 damage occurred in the Carriage Hills subdivision, just south of Pleasant Valley Road near North Brighton. This tornado was on the ground for 15 minutes. (Photo courtesy: Mike Hudson, WCM, NWS Kansas City, MO.) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Outstanding Storm of the Month …..…………….….........……..…………..…….…..…..... 4 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena ....…….…....………..……...........….................. 7 Reference Notes .............……...........................……….........…..……............................................. 472 STORM DATA (ISSN 0039-1972) National Climatic Data Center Editor: William Angel Assistant Editors: Stuart Hinson and Rhonda Mooring STORM DATA is prepared, and distributed by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena narratives and Hurricane/Tropical Storm summaries are prepared by the National Weather Service. Monthly and annual statistics and summaries of tornado and lightning events re- sulting in deaths, injuries, and damage are compiled by the National Climatic Data Center and the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Storm Prediction Center. STORM DATA contains all confi rmed information on storms available to our staff at the time of publication. Late reports and corrections will be printed in each edition. Except for limited editing to correct grammatical errors, the data in Storm Data are published as received. Note: “None Reported” means that no severe weather occurred and “Not Received” means that no reports were re- ceived for this region at the time of printing. Subscription, pricing, and ordering information is available from: NCDC Subscription Services 310 State Route 956 Building 300 Rocket Center, WV 26726 (866) 742-3322 Toll Free The editor of STORM DATA solicit your help in acquiring photographs (prints or slides; black and white, or color), maps, clippings, etc. of signifi cant or severe weather events (past or present) for use in the “Outstanding Storms of the Month’’ section of STORM DATA. We request our subscribers or other interested persons to mail such items to: Storm Data National Climatic Data Center 151 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 e-mail: [email protected] Any such items received by the editor will be for use in STORM DATA only. Any other use will be with the permis- sion of the owner of said items. Materials will be returned if requested. This is an offi cial publication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is compiled from information received at the National Climatic Data Center Asheville, North Carolina 28801-2733. Thomas R. Karl Director, National Climatic Data Center 2 May 2003 Confirmed Tornadoes 3 F Scale F 0 F 1 F 2 F 3 F 4 F 5 F Scale F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total Number 280 157 56 22 6 0 521 OUTSTANDING STORMS OF THE MONTH Tornadoes in May 2003 May 4 A major tornado outbreak occurred across the Kansas City area from late afternoon into the evening of May 4, 2003. A dry line moved into eastern Kansas and initiated severe thunderstorm development. Several thunderstorms became tornadic with a total of five distinct tornado touchdowns in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Two of the tornadoes received a rating of F4, two a rating of F2, and one that was rated F1, as defined by the Fujita Tornado Scale. Four other tornadoes affected areas south and southeast of Kansas City. Significant tornado damage was observed from Kansas City, Kansas, to Gladstone and Liberty, in Missouri. Total damage exceeded $144 million dollars. The tornadoes resulted in one death and fifty injuries. Above Left: A map depicts the 5 tornado tracks across the Kansas City metropolitan area. Above Right: F4 damage was noted around 91st and Leavenworth Road. (Map and photo courtesy: Mike Hudson, WCM, NWS Kansas City, MO.) May 8 On May 8, 2003, a long track F4 tornado, as defined by the Fujita Tornado Scale, moved through the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. This tornado began in Moore, OK, moved generally in a northeasterly direction for 17.3 miles, affected areas of Oklahoma City, Midwest City and Choctow. This tornado caused 134 injuries with no fatalities. The General Motors Corporation Assembly Plant was one of the hardest hit with several buildings severely damaged along with 600 new sport utility vehicles and approximately 100 employee vehicles thrown around and damaged or destroyed. This was the first of two consecutive days with a tornado in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Left: F3 damage occurred in Moore, Oklahoma. (Photo courtesy: Mike Branick, WFO Norman, OK.) 4 Above: F4 damage occurred at the General Motors Plant in southeast Oklahoma City. (Photo courtesy: Doug Speheger, WFO Norman, OK.) May 11 A squall line formed ahead of a cold front during the early morning hours on May 11, 2003. The cold front was associated with an area of low pressure over the Great Lakes. Six tornadoes, 4 F1’s and 2 F3’s, as defined by the Fujita Tornado Scale, formed and touchdown in middle Tennessee which resulted in one injury and $5 million dollars in property damage. Left: The Williamson County tornado, rated as an F3, demolished this two-story home with a brick front and vinyl siding. This tornado had a path length of one-mile with a path width of 300 yards and did $2.2 million dollars in damage. (Photo courtesy: Michael Davis, ITO, NWS Nashville.) 5 Flooding in Tennessee Heavy rains fell on southeast Tennessee starting on April 30, saturating the ground and raising river levels. On May 5, a large area of heavy rain moved slowly across the region. Embedded thunderstorms moved repeatedly over the same locations, resulting in over 12 inches of rain in 35 hours in McMinn County, just north of Chattanooga. From May 5-10, over nine inches of rain fell in the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River basins, which flow into the Tennessee River upstream of Chattanooga. The South Chickamauga Creek, which flows directly through Chattanooga and its suburbs, reached a record flood stage of 29.32 feet on May 8th. The previous record stage was 28.72 feet in February 1990. Even the Tennessee River at Chattanooga reached 36.1 feet on the 8th. The modern record flood is 36.9 feet observed in February 1973. Damage in Hamilton County (Chattanooga and environs) was estimated at around $20 million dollars. Hundreds of people were evacuated or rescued in virtually every county in southeast and east central Tennessee along the Tennessee River and its tributaries. There was one fatality. Left: Flood waters covers a car at a condominium, and floods the streets and businesses in Chattanooga, below. (Photo courtesy: Howard Waldron, WCM, NWS Morristown, TN and Chattanooga/Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency.) 6 Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena Time Path Path Number of Estimated May 2003 Local/ Length Width Persons Damage Location Date Standard (Miles) (Yards) Killed Injured Property Crops Character of Storm ALABAMA, Central Jefferson County Birmingham 01 0000CST 0 0 Heavy Rain 31 2359CST The total rainfall at the Birmingham International Airport for May, 2003, was 17.23 inches. This established a new record for the wettest May breaking the old record of 11.10 set in 1969. Many other locations were above normal. The Anniston Municipal Airport measured 11.53 inches which was 7.64 inches above normal. The Shelby County Airport saw 10.03 inches of rain which was 6.34 inches above normal. The Tuscaloosa Municipal Airport measured 9.33 inches which was 5.20 inches above normal. Marion County Hackleburg 01 1550CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Marion County Hackleburg 01 1550CST 0 0 3K 0 Thunderstorm Wind (G50) Some trees were blown down near Hackleburg. Penny size hail also accompanied this storm. Etowah County Countywide 01 1737CST 0 0 20K 0 Thunderstorm Wind (G53) 1810CST Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the entire county. The Emergency Management Office in Gadsden recorded a 61 mph wind gust during the event. Russell County Seale 01 1801CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Penny size hail was reported in central Russell County near Seale. ALZ020 Cherokee 01 1815CST 0 0 1K 0 Strong Wind A wind gust overturned a small outbuilding in Cedar Bluff. Calhoun County Countywide 01 1825CST 0 0 10K 0 Thunderstorm Wind (G50) 1848CST Several trees and power lines were knocked down mainly across the eastern part of the county. Barbour County 7 SW Terese 01 1830CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Dime to penny size hail was reported 1 mile north of the Henry County line in extreme southeastern Barbour County. Talladega County Talladega 01 1843CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Penny size hail was observed in the city of Talladega. Talladega County Sylacauga 01 1910CST 0 0 8K 0 Thunderstorm Wind (G50) Trees and power lines were blown down in Sylacauga. Tallapoosa County Newsite 01 1937CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Penny size hail was reported in New Site. Barbour County 3 E Bakerhill 01 1949CST 0 0 0 0 Hail (0.75) Penny size hail fell just east of Bakerhill. Lamar County Detroit 02 1328CST 0 0 100K 0 Hail (1.75) Golf ball size hail fell in and near the town of Detroit. Several automobiles received broken windows and dents from the hail. The hail may have been larger in the surrounding rural areas.