Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, May 1, 2003

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, May 1, 2003
Start: 2003-05-01T15:27
End: 2003-05-01T19:21
Location: Oklahoma

May 1, 2003 · NWS TSA · 34 events in 8 counties and zones

26 hail, 7 tornado, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

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.

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: $473,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 34

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 2:25 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 2:25 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
325 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

COLD FRONT SLOWLY MIGRATING ACROSS NE OK THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A
DRYLINE OUT AHEAD OF MAIN BOUNDARY NOTED ACROSS SE OK. OUT AHEAD OF
FRONT/DRYLINE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT REMAINS. NEGATING
FACTORS FOR CONVECTION WOULD BE HOW MUCH THE ATMOSPHERE HAS
STABILIZED ACROSS FAR ERN OK AND NW AR WHERE SHOWERS AND STORMS
LINGERED LATE THIS MORNING. CAP IN PLACE ACROSS SE OK ALSO MAY LIMIT
CONVECTION...HOWEVER IF CAP CAN BE BROKEN(CONVECTIVE TEMP LOW 90S)
FEEL BEST CHC FOR SVR WOULD BE ACROSS SE OK ALONG DRYLINE. LITTLE IN
THE WAY OF UPPER SUPPORT COMBINED WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING
WOULD LIKELY DIMINISH CONVECTION AFTER SUNSET. WILL GO AHEAD HAVE
LOW POPS FOR THIS EVENING ACROSS FAR ERN OK AND NW AR. MOISTURE
NEVER REALLY GETS SCOURED OUT BEHIND FRONT...SO LIGHT WINDS
TONIGHT(ESP. ACROSS NW AR) MAY SEE SOME LIGHT FOG IF LOWER CLOUDS
SCATTER OUT. NOT WORTH MENTIONING IN ZONES ATTM.  NICE DAY ON TAP
TOMORROW BUT WAA PATTERN QUICKLY RETURNS BY TOMORROW NIGHT. LOW POPS
LOOK GOOD FRI NIGHT... BUT BETTER CHANCES SHOULD BE SAT/SAT NIGHT AS
SFC WARM FRONT LIFTS FURTHER NORTH AND LOW LEVEL JET SETS UP OVER
THE AREA.

THE LATTER HALF THE WEEKEND STILL POSES AN INTERESTING SCENARIO. AND
CONVECTIVE CHANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRYLINE WILL BE HIGHLY
DEPENDANT ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH CONVECTION SATURDAY NIGHT. GFS STILL
IS FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE WITH SWEEPING DRYLINE/COLD FRONT ACROSS THE
AREA WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM TRAVERSING THE CENTRAL PLAINS.
WILL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS SUNDAY. IF THIS SCENARIO
PANS OUT...DRIER AIR SHOULD MAKE IT INTO NW AR BY LATE SUNDAY
EVENING. WILL KEEP REMAINDER OF EXTENDED PRETTY MUCH AS IS...WITH
DRY AND COOLER WEATHER MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
TUL   56   75   56   74  / 10   10   20   30
FSM   58   79   57   77  / 30   10   20   40
MLC   57   79   58   80  / 20   10   20   20
BVO   53   74   53   73  / 10   10   20   40
FYV   54   73   50   71  / 20   10   20   40
BYV   54   73   50   70  / 30   10   20   40
MKO   57   76   56   75  / 20   10   20   40
MIO   54   73   52   70  / 20   10   20   40
F10   57   76   57   76  / 10   10   20   30
HHW   59   81   60   83  / 30   10   20   20

FORECAST ID= 23

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 12:00 PM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
AT MID DAY A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA.  TO THE EAST OF THIS FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE MOIST.
THIS MOISTURE WILL TRANSLATE INTO INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON AS
TEMPERATURES WARM TO THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S.  AS TEMPERATURES WARM
THE LID ON THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPMENT IMPOSED BY A WARM LAYER OF AIR
OFF THE SURFACE MAY BE BROKEN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY FORM.  IN
ADDITION...THE COLD FRONT COULD AID IN THIS PROCESS AS IT MOVES
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A
THUNDERSTORM DOES FORM THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD BECOME
SEVERE.  THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS WHERE HEATING IS
EXPECTED TO BE MAXIMIZED.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WARNING PROBABILITIES 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN MOVING SLOWLY NORTH LATE FRIDAY
AND LIKELY SPAWN MORE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND OVER
THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...SPOTTER
ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS TODAY.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 1, 10:53 AM CST, 4 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1153 AM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0118 AM    4 W GRAINOLA              OK   0.88 IN HAIL
05/01/03   OSAGE

Special weather statement, May 1, 3:00 PM CST, 27 minutes before

ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053-060>063-066>076-020200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH
#202 UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS:

BENTON                CARROLL               CRAWFORD
MADISON               WASHINGTON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

FRANKLIN              SEBASTIAN

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 17 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 DELAWARE              MAYES
OKMULGEE              ROGERS                TULSA
WAGONER

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG
PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...
BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...CLAYTON...EUFAULA...EUREKA
SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUGO...HUNTSVILLE...JAY...
MCALESTER...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...OKMULGEE...
OZARK...POTEAU...PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SAND SPRINGS...SILOAM
SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN
BUREN...WAGONER AND WILBURTON.

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

26 hail, 7 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Mayes

When: May 1, 3:27 PM CST
Where: Mayes County, 2 mi NE of Salina
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.517, -95.217

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 1 mi NE of Hulbert
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.917, -95.000

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 3:30 PM CST to 3:42 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 4 mi W of Tahlequah
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.917, -95.033

Multiple reports of large hail were received from 4 miles west of Tahlequah between 430 pm cdt and 442 pm cdt. The hail sizes ranged from nickel size to golf ball size and were reported by amateur radio, spotters and the emergency management.

Hail, Delaware

When: May 1, 3:48 PM CST
Where: Delaware County, 10 mi S of Chloeta
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 34.583, -95.350

Hail, Wagoner

When: May 1, 4:19 PM CST
Where: Wagoner County, 3 mi N of Wagoner
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.467, -94.800

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 4:21 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, Hulbert
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.867, -95.233

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 4:37 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 2 mi W of Tahlequah
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.167, -94.717

Hail, Pushmataha

When: May 1, 4:38 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, Clayton
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.167, -94.617

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 4:42 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 4 mi W of Tahlequah
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.167, -94.617

Tornado, Wagoner

When: May 1, 4:55 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Wagoner County, 1 mi SSE of Okay
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 120 yd
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 36.317, -95.117

A F1 tornado touched down south southeast of Okay and crossed into Muskogee county. The damage was characterized by a few damaged to destroyed mobile homes and several damaged to destroyed outbuildings and sheds. Trees and utility poles were also blown down. The few single family houses in the path sustained lesser damage.

Hail, Delaware

When: May 1, 4:59 PM CST
Where: Delaware County, 3 mi N of Jay
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.408, -94.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Muskogee

When: May 1, 5:00 PM CST to 5:01 PM CST
Where: Muskogee County, 3 mi WNW of Ft Gibson
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 35.950, -95.133

The tornado which touched down south southeast of Okay in Wagoner county continued into Muskogee county to the west northwest of Fort Gibson. The damage was mainly done to utility poles and trees.

Tornado, Muskogee

When: May 1, 5:04 PM CST to 5:09 PM CST
Where: Muskogee County, 3 mi W of Ft Gibson
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.7 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 35.917, -95.033

This tornado shortly followed the previous tornado near Fort Gibson. The damage path started within the property of the port of Muskogee and crossed the Arkansas River before dissipating near U. S. Highway 62. Several large trees were damaged or uprooted. Multiple buildings lost sections of sheet metal and overhead doors. A few examples of light structural damage were found.

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 7 mi SW of Hulbert
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.483, -95.067

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 5:11 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 3 mi W of Panama
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.667, -95.017

Tornado, Pushmataha

When: May 1, 5:14 PM CST to 5:15 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, 2 mi N of Nashoba
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 35.933, -95.150

A tornado briefly touched down north of Nashoba uprooting numerous trees and knocking down power lines.

Hail, Pushmataha

When: May 1, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, 9 mi E of Nashoba
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.883, -94.467

Flash Flood, Cherokee

When: May 1, 5:30 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, Tahlequah
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.050, -94.617

Rainfall estimated by radar to be in excess of 3 inches caused drainage ditches in the city of Tahlequah to overflow and cover a few roads.

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 5:31 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 3 mi E of Panama
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.600, -95.083

Hail, Cherokee

When: May 1, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 4 mi SW of Cookson
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.450, -94.833

Tornado, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 5:46 PM CST to 5:48 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 4 mi N of Gore
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 36.267, -94.967

A storm chaser photographed a brief tornado north of Gore. The tornado touched down in open country and no damage was reported.

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 5:48 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 3 mi E of Panama
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.883, -94.600

Hail, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 5:49 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 9 mi NW of Vian
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.433, -94.850

Tornado, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 5:51 PM CST to 5:52 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 4 mi NE of Gore
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 35.900, -95.383

Shortly after photographing a tornado 4 miles north of Gore, a storm chaser photographed a brief tornado 4 miles northeast of Gore. The tornado occurred in open county and no damage was reported.

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 6:27 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Heavener
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.400, -94.800

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 6:28 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Poteau
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.233, -94.633

Hail, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 2 mi WSW of Sallisaw
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.233, -94.633

Tornado, Le Flore

When: May 1, 6:33 PM CST to 6:34 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 8 mi E of Heavener
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 35.283, -94.500

A National Weather Service storm survey team noted tree damage believed to be caused by a tornado 8 miles east of Heavener. The damage track crossed into Scott county 8.5 miles east of Heavener or 3.5 miles west southwest of Bates.

Hail, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 6:36 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 4 mi SW of Sallisaw
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.233, -94.533

Hail, Sequoyah

When: May 1, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 5 mi S of Sallisaw
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.850, -95.300

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Spiro
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.817, -95.300

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Braden
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.800, -95.300

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Spiro
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.583, -95.117

Hail, Le Flore

When: May 1, 7:21 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 3 mi W of Pocola
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.567, -95.067

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 Oklahoma in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Oklahoma, 2003 Warnings in Oklahoma, May 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5360190, 5358852, 5358853, 5358854, 5358855, 5358856, 5358857, 5358859, 5358858, 5358185, 5358860, 5358186, 5358236, 5358861, 5358900, 5358239, 5358904, 5358903, 5358901, 5358905, 5358237, 5358902, 5358906, 5358238, 5358907, 5358908, 5358910, 5358909, 5358911, 5358912, 5358913, 5358914, 5358915, 5358916.