1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 8, 1:47 AM CST, 12 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO 215 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003 ACTIVE WX PATTERN WILL RETURN TDA AS SFC RDG EXTDG FM WRN WI S THRU ERN MO WRN IL MOVS E OF CWA AND STNRY FNT ACRS OK AR LIFTS BACK NWD AS A WRMFNT. ELEVATED CONVECTION MOVG NEWD THRU SERN KS ERN OK ASSOCIATED WITH STG TEMP AND MOISTURE ADVCTN ON NOSE OF SLY LLJ MAY MAKE IT INTO THE WRN AND SRN PTN OF OUR CWA LTR THIS MRNG...ALTHOUGH THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY WKN AS IT GETS FURTHER E-NE INTO ERN MO. SHOULD SEE NEW DVLPNT THIS AFTN OVR MOST OF THE CWA AS 850-700 MB WAA INCRS OVR REGION AS LLJ TRANSLATES EWD THRU MO AND WRMFNT MOVS SLOWLY NEWD THRU MO. MAY BE A BREAK IN PCPN THIS EVNG AS WRMFNT LIFTS NE OF CWA WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AS WKNG DRYLINE/CDFNT MOVS EWD INTO THE NRN AND WRN PTNS OF THE CWA. LOOKS LIKE BEST POTENTIAL OF SVR CONVECTION WILL BE JUST W OF CWA THIS AFTN AND EVNG WHERE MDLS FCST LOWEST LI VALUES AND HIGHEST CAPE AND CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY IN WRM SECTOR AHD OF DRYLINE. WILL LEAVE FRI DRY FOR NOW WITH LTL IF ANY FORCING FOR CONVECTION...ALTHOUGH MDLS DUE SHOW PLENTY OF LOW LVL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ESPECIALLY S AND E OF STL. LOOKS LIKE PCPN WILL RETURN BY LATE FRI NGT AS YET ANOTHER SFC LOW DVLPS OVR KS WITH MDLS INDICATING A WRMFNT DVLPG OVR NRN MO E-NE OF SFC LOW. ETA MDL INCRS K INDICES INTO THE LWR 40S OVR CNTRL MO ALNG WITH STG CONVECTIVE INSTABILTY FRI NGT. BEST POTENTIAL OF SVR WX THIS FCST PERIOD MAY BE ON SAT EVNG AS BOTH ETA AND AVN MDL DEPICT DPNG SFC LOW MOVG NEWD THRU SERN IA TWRDS SRN WI WITH STG CDFNT MOVG SEWD THRU CWA. ETA MDL HAS SFC LI VALUES DOWN TO ARND -10 OVR MUCH OF THE CWA AT 00Z SUN WITH SFC DWPTS IN THE UPR 60S. LOOKS LIKE A BREAK IN ACTIVE SVR WX PATTERN SUN AND MON AS STG SFC HI BLDS INTO MO BHND CDFNT BRINGING COOLER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE CWA. .STL...NONE GKS
ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027- 034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-091200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO 530 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI AND WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM THE TOWN OF COLONY SOUTH TO ST THOMAS. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA ARE EDINA...PARIS...COLUMBIA AND CALIFORNIA. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AS A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EASTWARD INTO THE AREA. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REST OF THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...A FEW MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM MOBERLY MISSOURI SOUTHEAST TO ST ELMO ILLINOIS. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA ARE HANNIBAL...QUINCY AND CARLINVILLE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A WARM FRONT OVER NORTHERN MISSOURI. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ENTIRE REGION SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE REGION. SOME STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT... HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/LSX (ALL LOWER CASE) GKS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
120 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1245 PM HALLSVILLE MO 0.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03 BOONE ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS OF
40 TO 60 MPH
1256 PM 1E SHAW MO WIND DAMAGE
05/08/03 BOONE 10 INCH DIAM TREE LIMBS
DOWNED AND ROOF BLOWN OFF
BARN AT ROUTE Z AND
MEXICO GRAVEL ROAD
1256 PM HALLSVILLE MO WIND DAMAGE
05/08/03 BOONE BOAT TRAILERS BLOWN INTO
ROADWAY
0104 PM 2W KINGDOM CITY MO 1.00 INCH HAIL
05/08/03 CALLAWAY 1 MILE NORTH OF I-70PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
124 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0106 PM 12SE CENTRALIA MO 0.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03 BOONEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
133 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0109 PM MO WIND DAMAGE
05/08/03 BOONE 3-4 MOBLIE HOMES DAMAGED
AND FLIPPED AT ROB COOKE
ROAD AND 8900 BLOCK N RTE
Z. 1 MOBILE HOME DAMAGED
AND FLIPPED 14000 BLOCK
OF RTE J REPORTED BY
BOONE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY. 1
INJURY REPORTED.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
134 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0128 PM ELSBERRY MO 1.25 INCH HAIL
05/08/03 LINCOLNPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
140 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0138 PM MEXICO MO FLOODING
05/08/03 AUDRAIN 2 FEET OF WATER REPORTED
IN CITY LIMITS BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
231 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0229 PM JERSEYVILLE IL 0.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03 JERSEYThe St Louis radar (KLSX), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A local farmer reported that a brief tornado occurred in a field between Staunton and Bunker Hill.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2003Warnings in Illinois, 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: 5359909.