May 4, 2003 Severe Weather Outbreak
Updated 5/8/03

On Sunday, May 4 a major severe weather outbreak occurred across the Central Plains and Midwest. Hardest hit areas were in eastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri. As of May 8 there were 94 reports of tornadoes, with 38 confirmed fatalities in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The largest number of fatalities occurred in Missouri, where 18 deaths were reported.

• Weather Synopsis
• *NEW* Detailed Meteorological Report with Graphics (LARGE 3.3MB *.ppt file) [See Description]
• Missouri Impacts
• Severe Weather Report Map
• Aftermath
• NOAA story and links on the outbreak

Weather Synopsis

A strong and slow-moving spring storm intensified over the Central Plains on Sunday, May 4. By sunrise Sunday morning a large area of showers and thunderstroms had developed east of the storm system from the Dakotas southeast to the Ohio River.

Click for larger image. Satellite-surface-radar composite chart at 0700 CDT May 4, 2003. Image courtesy Unisys Weather.

The combination of strong upper level winds, and unstable atmosphere, and the intense low pressure system led the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) to place a large portion of the Midwest in a Moderate to High risk category for severe weather. In the outlook issued at 11:30 a.m.CDT, SPC indicated the area at greatest risk for tornadoes extended eastern Kansas through most of western Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and northwestern Arkansas. During the afternoon three tornado watches and two severe thunderstormwatches covered a large portion of the Midwest. The tornado watches were "PDS" watches (Particularly Dangerous Situation), a designation made when weather conditions are favorable for a major outbreak of severe thunderstorms or tornadoes.

Severe weather outlook issued at 11:30 CDT on May 4.

Weather watches in effect during the afternoon of May 4.

By 1:30 p.m. CDT thunderstorms began to develop in eastern Kansas, and by 4:00 p.m. a line of severe thunderstorms including supercells extended from northwest of Kansas City through souheastern Kansas.

Click for larger image. Radar reflectivity composite image at 4:00 p.m., May 4, 2003. Image from image archive of U.S. Weather Research Program. At the time of this image a tornado had already been reported in Leavenworth County, KS, northwest of Kansas City.

Missouri Impacts

Here is a partial preliminary chronology of the severe weather and its impacts in Missouri during the later afternoon and evening of May 4. Some preliminary data on the storms can be found on the NWS Pleasant Hill, MO web site.
Missouri Counties reference map. All times are CDT

Radar image from NWS, Pleasant Hill, MO.		5:11 p.m.	Tornado reported on the ground near in the north Kansas City metro area near Liberty, in Clay County at Highway 291 and I-35. Kansas City police estimated 10 to 15 homes demolished, and another 100 damaged. At one time 33,000 customers were without power. Damage was reported in the Gladstone and Linerty neighborhoods.
		5:30 p.m.	Tornado reported near Liberal in Barton County. One person reported killed.
		5:50 p.m.	Tornado reported 8 miles north of Lamar, MO, Barton County.

Click for larger image. This image shows the hook echo associated with the supercell entering Cedar County, MO at 6:09 p.m. CDT.

Severe Weather Reports

This chart shows the locations of all reports of tornadoes, hail, and wind damage for May 4. A detailed listing of all
reports can be found at the Storm Prediction Center web site.

Aftermath

Missouri state survey teams found that 40 buildings in the Pierce City downtown area, including the entire business district, were unstable or subject to collapse. Some of the stone structures are 130 years old.

On May 6 President George Bush issued a federal disaser declaration for Missouri and Kansas, clearing the way for federal assistance to victims of the tornadoes.

Clay County, MO officials estimate losses totaling $91.4 million in their county. Platte County, MO losses are estimated at $33.9 million.

Damages at William Jewell College in Lberty, MO were estimated at $15 million to $20 million. The college is fully insured.

Gladstone, MO officials estimate damages in their city at $20 million.

The National Weather Serivice completed damage surveys of the tornado tracks. In the Kansas City area two of the tornadoes reached a strength of F4 on the Fujita scale. In southwest Missouri one tornado reached F$ and two others were at F3 strength.

This map shows the tornado tracks in the Kansas City area. Click on the map to go to more detailed information at the NWS Pleasant Hill web site.

This map shows the tornado tracks in southwestern Missouri. Click on the map to go to more detailed information on the tornadoes at the NWS Springfield, MO web site.