2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 3:33 PM CST, 12 minutes earlier.
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA 433 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MOVING INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS IS EVOLVING INTO A LINEAR SYSTEM...WITH REMAINING EMBEDDED MESOCYCLONES. LOW-LEVEL STORM-RELATIVE HELICITY ANALYSIS SHOWES VALUES MAXIMIZED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT THAT IS IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY. VALUES HAVE REACHED 429 M2/S2 IN FORT SMITH. GIVEN THE CURRENT MORE LINEAR NATURE OF THE STORMS AND THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE BACKED MID-LEVEL WINDS AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW...THE STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE IN THEIR CURRENT LINEAR MODE WITH THE THREAT FOR BRIEF TORNADOES. THE DRY SLOT AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HAS RESULTED IN MORE SUN...WARMING TEMPERATURES AND DESTABILIZING AIR FROM THE TULSA AREA SOUTH TO WEST OF MCALESTER. CAPE VALUES HAVE RECOVERED TO AROUND 1000 J/KG AND THIS WILL SUPPORT ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPING IN THESE AREAS OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO WITH HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. FORECAST ID= 08 .TSA... AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ001>002... ARZ010>011...ARZ019>020. OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES OKZ054>064...OKZ067>069.
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-171100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... IN THE WAKE OF STRONG EARLY MORNING STORMS...CONDITIONS WILL AGAIN BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. A POTENT UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON WHILE A SURFACE LOW TRACKS EASTWARD ACROSS OKLAHOMA. CONVERGENCE AHEAD OF THE LOW WILL INITIATE THUNDERSTORMS BY EARLY AFTERNOON WHICH WILL QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE. STORMS PRODUCING TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE MOST LIKELY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN ARKANSAS WHERE SHEAR PROFILES ARE MOST FAVORABLE. ELSEWHERE...BANDS OF SUPERCELLS OR STRONG MULTICELLS WITH BOWING SEGMENTS WILL BE MOST LIKELY. THESE WILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL. GIVEN THE RAINFALL THIS MORNING AND THE EXPECTED MAGNITUDE OF THE RAIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...FLASH FLOODING MAY BECOME A PROBLEM. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. WARNING PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES CAN BE FOUND IN THE OUTLOOK SECTION AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA. GIVEN PROBABILITIES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WARNING TO BE ISSUED AT YOUR LOCATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WHICH HAS AND WILL PRODUCE STORMINESS WILL HEAD OFF TO THE EAST OF THE AREA SATURDAY BRINGING AN END TO THE RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR A DAY OR TWO. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL BRING THUNDERSTORMS BACK INTO THE FORECAST LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. .SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT... WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1112 AM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0615 AM PEA RIDGE AR WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 BENTON HUNDREDS OF TREES DOWNED
BLOCKING MANY ROADS AND
HIGHWAYS.
0600 AM CROWDER OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 PITTSBURG TREE BLOWN DOWN
0600 AM WESTVILLE OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 ADAIR BARN DESTROYED AND TREES
DOWN
0557 AM 1 E GORE OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 SEQUOYAH TREE BLOWN ONTO MOONSHINE
ROAD
0550 AM LEE CREEK AR WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 CRAWFORD MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ALONG
HIGHWAY 220
0450 AM MUSKOGEE OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 MUSKOGEE TREES BLOWN DOWN
0445 AM CHECOTAH OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 MCINTOSH SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS BLOWN
DOWN
0430 AM ONAPA OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 MCINTOSH SHINGLES BLOWN OFF AND OUT
BUILDINGS DAMAGED. POWER
LINES AND POWER POLES
DOWNED. MOBLE HOME BLOWN
OFF FOUNDATION.
0400 AM 2 W OKEMAH OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 OKFUSKEE TREES DOWN AND OUT
BUILDINGS DAMAGED
0400 AM WELTY OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 OKFUSKEE OUT BUILDINGS DESTROYED
AND TREES DOWNED
0355 AM 5 E BIXBY OK 60 MPH TSTORM WIND
05/16/03 TULSA
0300 AM RALSTON OK 60 MPH TSTORM WIND
05/16/03 PAWNEE
XXXOKZ054>072-162300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1225 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #392 UNTIL 600 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS: IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 19 COUNTIES... IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: CHEROKEE MUSKOGEE OKFUSKEE SEQUOYAH IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA: ADAIR CRAIG CREEK DELAWARE MAYES NOWATA OKMULGEE OSAGE OTTAWA PAWNEE ROGERS TULSA WAGONER WASHINGTON IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: MCINTOSH THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARTLESVILLE...BRISTOW...BROKEN ARROW... CLAREMORE...EUFAULA...JAY...MIAMI...MUSKOGEE...NOWATA...OKEMAH... OKMULGEE...PAWHUSKA...PAWNEE...PRYOR...SALLISAW...SAND SPRINGS... STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VINITA AND WAGONER.
ARZ019>020-029-OKZ049-053-073>076-162300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1243 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #393 UNTIL 600 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS: IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES... IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS: CRAWFORD IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS: FRANKLIN SEBASTIAN IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES... IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: CHOCTAW HASKELL LATIMER LE FLORE PITTSBURG PUSHMATAHA THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...CEDARVILLE...CLAYTON...FORT SMITH...HUGO...MCALESTER...MOUNTAINBURG...NATURAL DAM...OZARK... POTEAU...STIGLER...VAN BUREN AND WILBURTON.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1248 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0455 AM 4 E OKAY OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 WAGONER
0455 AM BIG CABIN OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 CRAIG TREE DAMAGE
0418 AM OOLOGAH OK WIND DAMAGE
05/16/03 ROGERS SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN
SAARZ001>002-010>011-170247- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 348 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #395 UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS: IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES... IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS: BENTON CARROLL MADISON WASHINGTON THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...HUNTSVILLE...ROGERS...SILOAM SPRINGS AND SPRINGDALE. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA MOVE QUICKLY TO THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. STAY AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS AND WINDOWS. BASEMENTS AND STORM CELLARS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR NEARBY...MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES.
ARZ001>002-010>011-170247- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED WATCH NUMBER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 348 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #396 UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS: IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES... IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS: BENTON CARROLL MADISON WASHINGTON THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...HUNTSVILLE...ROGERS...SILOAM SPRINGS AND SPRINGDALE. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA MOVE QUICKLY TO THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. STAY AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS AND WINDOWS. BASEMENTS AND STORM CELLARS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR NEARBY...MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES.
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 6 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:46 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotters reported a brief tornado touchdown near Jenny Lind. No damage was reported.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew several trees down.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew several trees down.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused a rural road to be washed out.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2003Warnings in Arkansas, May 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5359782, 5359783, 5359784, 5359785.