A supercell thunderstorm moved northeast from Tennessee, producing straight-line wind damage from the southeast corner of Graves County to Murray. The storm then spawned a tornado northeast of Murray.
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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 episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
A supercell thunderstorm moved northeast from Tennessee, producing straight-line wind damage from the southeast corner of Graves County to Murray. The storm then spawned a tornado northeast of Murray.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 1:44 PM CST, 7 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 244 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003 FORECAST CHALLENGE IS TIMING OF PRECIP AND SVR WX. FIRST CLUSTER OF STORMS NORTH OF WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH WARM AIR ADVECTION AT 850 SLOWLY MOVING OFF TO THE EAST. AT 1900 UTC WARM FRONT ENTERING THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF CWA WITH MID TO UPPER 60 DEW POINTS. LARGE HAIL WITH ISOLATED WIND DAMAGE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. SEVERE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAIN SYSTEM NOW OVER NEBRASKA...KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. EXPECT THIS SYSTEM TO MERGE INTO A POSSIBLE SQUALL LINE AS IT REACHES THE AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. WILL KEEP MENTION OF SEVERE IN ZONES BOTH TONIGHT AND AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON. EHI AND VGP VALUES FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER BOTH TIME FRAMES. FIRST SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT AND WEAKENS TO OUR EAST DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. IF THE CLOUDS BREAK AS EXPECTED...WE WILL DESTABILIZE BY AFTERNOON WITH FORECAST CAPES OVER 3500 J/KG. AGAIN WITH VGP VALUES OVER .3 IN PART OF WEST KENTUCKY TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EHI VALUES AROUND 5...SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY. AS FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH...IT IS FORECAST TO BE ALONG OHIO RIVER BY EARLY WEDNESDAY...WITH SURFACE LOW MOVING ALONG FRONT...WILL MENTION HEAVY RAIN. LITTLE CHANGE TO THE REST OF THE FORECAST WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO WINDS...TEMPERATURES. EXTENDED FORECAST...ALL MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH FRIDAY WHICH MEANS A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WEAK TROUGH OVER WEST COAST WILL KEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE REGION. TIMING OF IMPULSES IN SOUTHWEST FLOW THAT WILL PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS VERY DIFFICULT. THIS WILL KEEP A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALONG THE OHIO RIVER UNTIL FRIDAY. MODELS SWING DECENT SYSTEM THROUGH ON FRIDAY...ANOTHER LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. .PAH...NONE. SPODEN
ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100- 107>112-114-051000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 857 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003 ...HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI TONIGHT WITH A MODERATE RISK OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND WESTERN KENTUCKY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI TONIGHT WITH A MODERATE RISK OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS OVER THE REST OF THE REGION. SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE REGION...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JUST NORTH OF CARBONDALE ILLINOIS...TO NEAR MADISONVILLE KENTUCKY. STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF THE LINE. ONE ROUND IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING...ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY TOMORROW...WITH A SLIGHT RISK OVER THE REST OF THE QUAD STATE AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. AT THIS TIME...IS APPEARS THAT SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TOMORROW. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH DURING THE EVENING HOURS. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THIS WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCH AREAS. ADDITIONAL ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE QUAD STATE AREA. IN ADDITION...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED MONDAY AFTERNOON. PS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
954 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0945 PM KEVIL KY 60 MPH WIND GUST
05/04/03 BALLARD REPORTED BY TRAINED
SPOTTERSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
957 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0951 PM WEST PADUCAH KY 60 MPH WIND GUST
05/04/03 MCCRACKEN REPORTED BY WFO PADUCAH
PERSONNELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1001 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0958 PM METROPOLIS IL FUNNEL CLOUD
05/04/03 MASSAC REPORTED BY MASSAC COUNTY
SHERIFFS OFFICE THAT THE
FUNNEL CLOUD WAS EAST OF
METROPOLIS NEAR 1-24PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1015 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1010 PM JOY KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 LIVINGSTON REPORTED BY TRAINED
SPOTTER ALSO 60 MPH WIND
REPORTED AT THIS TIMEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1028 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1026 PM ROPERS LANDING IL WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 POPE REPORTED BY POPE COUNTY
DES TREES DOWN ALONG WITH
UNCONFIRMED ROOF DAMAGEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1030 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1028 PM 5SW MURRAY KY 60 MPH WIND GUST
05/04/03 CALLOWAY REPORTED BY TRAINED
SPOTTERS. ALSO 0.75 INCH
DIAMETER HAIL REPORTED AT
THIS TIMEThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:30 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight-line thunderstorm winds estimated up to 85 MPH produced damage in the southeast corner of Graves County, about 150 yards from the Tennessee state line. Numerous trees and power lines were down.
The tornado began along Highway 732 about one quarter mile east of Highway 94. It then moved northeast, roughly parallel to Highway 94, for almost two miles. Six homes received minor to moderate damage. Numerous trees were down, two barns were destroyed, and several others were damaged. Peak winds were estimated near 120 MPH.
A continuous damage path from straight-line thunderstorm winds began at the Graves County line and continued northeast, ending at the southwest edge of Murray. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, including some that landed on cars and one home. Light structural damage occurred to roofs, and shingles were blown off. Average winds in the damage area were estimated around 65 MPH, except 85 MPH near the town of Wiswell. Including the start of the damage path in Graves County, the length of the damage area was 11 miles. The width of the damage area averaged one-half mile. The damage area ended on South 16th Street in southwest Murray.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kentucky, 2003Warnings in Kentucky, 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: 5351914, 5353625, 5353624.