Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, April 6 to 7, 2003

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, April 6 to 7, 2003
Start: 2003-04-06T08:40
End: 2003-04-07T01:50
Location: Louisiana

April 6 to 7, 2003 · NWS JAN · 18 events in 6 counties and zones

7 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $843,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 6, 2:00 AM CST, 6 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 6, 2:00 AM CST, 6 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
300 AM CDT SUN APR 6 2003

MAIN FORECAST DIFFICULTIES INVOLVE BOUNDARY POSITIONS...ESPECIALLY
THRU NEXT 24 HOURS...AND EFFECTS ON STRONG CONVECTION/HEAVY
RAINFALL.

OUTFLOW BOUNDARY REMAINS PERCHED ACROSS SRN THIRD OF FA WHILE FRONT
EXTENDS FROM NE LA INTO NE MS. WILL SEE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW LIFT
INTO OHIO WHILE BOUNDARY STALLS ACROSS FORECAST AREA. PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUES HANG AROUND 1.5 INCHES CENTRAL/SRN MS. ETA HITS MSTR
HARDEST MAINTAINING DEWPTS IN THE MID 60S THRU THE DAY. MODELS AGREE
ON INCRG UPR DIVERGENCE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN RIGHT REAR
QUAD OF STRONG UPPER JET CORE. 850 MB JET DIMINISHES TODAY AND
BECOMES MORE WLY BUT AMS REMAINS UNSTABLE WITH DECENT CAPE AND
LIFTED INDEX VALUES AND RESPECTABLE SHEAR. WILL ADD MENTION OF A FEW
STORMS POSSIBLY BECOMING SEVERE SRN AREAS TODAY.

SHORTWAVE LIFTS INTO SRN LA/MS TONIGHT AS STALLED BOUNDARY HANGS
ACROSS S AND E MS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN AROUND 1.5
INCHES SECTIONS OF CENTRAL/SRN MS AND 850 MB FLOW BECOMES A BIT MORE
SLY S OF THE BOUNDARY. AREA REMAINS IN STRONG UPPER DIV AS JET CORE
INTENSIFIES TO THE N. AMS REMAINS SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE BUT PRIMARY
CONCERN FOR TONIGHT WILL BE HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL SE.

BOUNDARY REMAINS STALLED ACROSS SE CORNER OF MS TUE MRNG AND FINALLY
SHIFTS EWD TUE AFTERNOON. MODELS DIMINISHING MOISTURE FROM THE NW
ALTHO ETA HOLDS ONTO HIGHER DEWPTS LONGER SE CORNER TUE AFTN. SWLY
850 MB FLOW DECREASES BY 18Z AND CAPE VALUES VERY LIMITED. WILL KEEP
BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIP SE ZONES WITH LIMITED TSTM DEVELOPMENT.

MEAN TROF SHIFTS OVER THE FORECAST AREA TUE NIGHT AND 850 MB TEMPS
DROP BELOW ZERO DEGREES N AND CENTRAL. ETA MAINTAINS ENOUGH MSTR FOR
LIGHT PRECIP DURING THE EVENING BUT AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PERSISTS
MID/UPPER LAYERS FINALLY DRY.

WILL SEE DRY CONDITIONS THRU EXTENDED PERIOD WITH COOLER
TEMPS...ESPECIALLY MINS...THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. SURFACE RIDGE
MOVES OVER THE REGION SAT THEN LIGHT SLY FLOW DEVELOPS ONCE AGAIN.

PRELIM NUMBERS:
JAN 78/58/65/40 564-
MEI 77/60/66/41 6852

.JAN...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE
MS...FFA THRU MON AFTN FOR CNTRL AND S MS (MSZ043>046-048>059)

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 6, 6:03 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
071200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
0603 AM CST SUN APR 06 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND WEST MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING. THEY WILL INCREASE IN
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY THE AFTERNOON AND SCATTERED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF A LINE FROM BUDE TO
HAZLEHURST TO MERIDIAN. THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL
BE DAMAGING WIND AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.
LARGE HAIL MAY ALSO OCCUR. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE
EXPECTED OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL
BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT.

MOISTURE WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND THE AIR
MASS WILL DESTABILIZE. UPPER LEVEL WIND WILL INTENSIFY AND
PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT LIFT TO SUPPORT STRONG CONVECTION THIS
AFTERNOON. LOWER LEVEL WIND WILL ALSO INCREASE TO RESULT IN
STRONG FORCING FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. CONDITIONS WILL
REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE CONVECTION THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS AND WILL DIMINISH FROM THE WEST BY SUNSET. THE CHANCE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER EAST MISSISSIPPI
LOCATIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE
WEATHER EPISODE.

...FLOODING...
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL OCCUR WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT
DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND MOST OF
MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AREAS OF PONDING CAN BE
EXPECTED ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS DURING AREAS OF HEAVY
RAIN.

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND WEST MISSISSIPPI DURING THE
EARLY AFTERNOON. HEAVIER RAINFALL WILL OCCUR OVER EAST
MISSISSIPPI DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...

...DAYS TWO AND THREE...
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE DAY
MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY
MONDAY NIGHT AS A STALLED COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. THE AIR MASS WILL
REMAIN HUMID AND UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND INTENSE WIND
FIELDS WILL REDEVELOP. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY
NIGHT...MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BASTROP LOUISIANA TO YAZOO
CITY MISSISSIPPI TO DEKALB.  THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL
DIMINISH AS THE COLD FRONT SHIFTS EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING.

...DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL LIKELY BE
NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 6, 6:22 AM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes before

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
062100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
722 AM CDT SUN APR 6 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF REGION TODAY...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND WEST MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING. THEY WILL INCREASE IN
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY THE AFTERNOON AND SCATTERED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF A LINE FROM BUDE TO
HAZLEHURST TO MERIDIAN. THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL
BE DAMAGING WIND AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.
LARGE HAIL MAY ALSO OCCUR. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE
EXPECTED OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL
BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT.

MOISTURE WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING AND THE AIR
MASS WILL DESTABILIZE. UPPER LEVEL WIND WILL INTENSIFY AND
PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT LIFT TO SUPPORT STRONG CONVECTION THIS
AFTERNOON. LOWER LEVEL WIND WILL ALSO INCREASE TO RESULT IN
STRONG FORCING FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. CONDITIONS WILL
REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE CONVECTION THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS AND WILL DIMINISH FROM THE WEST BY SUNSET. THE CHANCE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER EAST MISSISSIPPI
LOCATIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE
WEATHER EPISODE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Madison

When: April 6, 8:40 AM CST
Where: Madison County, Tallulah
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.450, -91.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: April 6, 8:55 AM CST
Where: Morehouse County, Oak Ridge
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 32.600, -91.483

Several powerlines were blown down.

Hail, West Carroll

When: April 6, 9:15 AM CST
Where: West Carroll County, Epps
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.783, -91.900

Hail, Richland

When: April 6, 9:30 AM CST
Where: Richland County, 8 mi S of Rayville
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.417, -91.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: April 6, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Richland County, Alto
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 32.467, -91.750

Several powerlines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: April 6, 10:30 AM CST
Where: Richland County, Countywide
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.367, -91.750

A few trees were blown down across the Parish.

Hail, Franklin

When: April 6, 10:40 AM CST
Where: Franklin County, 4 mi NE of Baskin
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.667, -91.483

Tornado, Franklin

When: April 6, 10:44 AM CST to 10:45 AM CST
Where: Franklin County, 10 mi NE of Baskin
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.8 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 32.367, -91.867

This tornado snapped several trees, blew the roof off a tin shed and threw the tin 1/2 mile into an open field.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: April 6, 10:45 AM CST
Where: Richland County, Delhi
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 32.467, -91.750

Several powerlines and a couple of power poles were blown down.

Hail, Madison

When: April 6, 12:20 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Tallulah
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.517, -91.717

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: April 6, 12:30 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Tallulah
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.364, -91.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: April 6, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, Bastrop
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.417, -91.200

A few trees down in Bastrop, as well as trees down across the Parish.

Hail, West Carroll

When: April 6, 4:00 PM CST
Where: West Carroll County, 5 mi N of Epps
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.789, -91.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Richland

When: April 6, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Richland County, 3 mi NE of Rayville
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.418, -91.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, West Carroll

When: April 6, 4:20 PM CST to April 7, 1:50 AM CST
Where: West Carroll County, Oak Grove
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.417, -91.200

Several rounds of thunderstorms dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain across West Carroll Parish. This heavy rain caused several roads around Oak Grove and to the south to be covered with water. One house was flooded.

Flash Flood, Morehouse

When: April 6, 4:30 PM CST to April 7, 1:50 AM CST
Where: Morehouse County, Mer Rouge
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 32.367, -91.633

Several rounds of thunderstorms dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain across portions of Morehouse Parish. This heavy rain caused route 165 in town to be covered by 1 to 2 feet of water.

Flash Flood, East Carroll

When: April 6, 4:35 PM CST to April 7, 1:50 AM CST
Where: East Carroll County, Lake Providence
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.633, -91.767

Several rounds of thunderstorms dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain across portions of East Carroll Parish. This heavy rain caused numerous roads to be flooded. In addition to flooded roads, several homes were flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: April 6, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Richland County, Countywide
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.300, -91.700

A few trees were blown down across the Parish.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Louisiana, 2003 Warnings in Louisiana, April 2003

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5348005, 5348006, 5348872, 5348876, 5348007, 5348873, 5348877, 5348885, 5348871, 5348878, 5348879, 5348875, 5348880, 5348881, 5348883, 5348882, 5348884, 5348874.