Tornado and Hail in Tennessee, May 6, 2003

Name: Tornado and Hail in Tennessee, May 6, 2003
Start: 2003-05-06T22:10
End: 2003-05-06T23:45
Location: Tennessee

May 6, 2003 · NWS MEG · 10 events in 6 counties and zones

5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $39,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 6, 8:02 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 8:02 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
902 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

CURRENT FORECAST IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND NO UPDATES NECESSARY AT THIS
TIME. LATEST SPC HAS ABOUT THE NORTHWEST HALF OF OUR CWA IN A
MODERATE RISK FOR TONIGHT WITH A SLIGHT RISK FOR THE SOUTHEAST
HALF. TORNADO WATCH BOX IS JUST TO OUR WEST WITH EXPIRATION TIME OF
05Z. EXPECT WATCH(ES) WILL BE ISSUED FOR OUR CWA LATER THIS EVENING.
00Z LZK SOUNDING SHOWS CAPE AROUND 4000 J/KG WITH 0-3 KM SRH OF
173 M2/S2. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER AND
MID 70S FLOWING INTO THE MIDSOUTH ON SOUTH WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS INITIATED EARLIER ALONG THE
DRY LINE ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING EASTWARD AND MOVE INTO OUR
CWA BY MIDNIGHT. IN ADDITION...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT HAS
BECOME TORNADIC HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER NORTH MS...OVER PONTOTOC
COUNTY.

.MEG...NONE

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 7:05 PM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-071000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
805 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...WEST TENNESSEE AND THE MISSOURI
BOOTHEEL.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NORTHEAST AND
EAST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AND WEST TENNESSEE...
GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM MEMPHIS TO HUMBOLDT TO HUNTINGDON.
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER FOR THE REST OF THE MID
SOUTH. WARM HUMID AND UNSTABLE AIR AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT
TO THE NORTHWEST WILL CAUSE PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MID
SOUTH. SOME STORMS WILL BE SEVERE TONIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. SOME TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE WHICH COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED
FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...INCLUDING WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY

THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SINK SOUTH INTO THE MID SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY
AND BECOME STATIONARY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE
NEXT CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WILL COME SATURDAY NIGHT INTO
SUNDAY WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY TONIGHT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE
NECESSARY WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR
WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MEG.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 6, 6:50 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

MSZ013-021-070130-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
750 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...LAFAYETTE AND YALOBUSHA
COUNTIES.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF VELMA AT 750
PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO BECOME SEVERE.

PEOPLE IN LAFAYETTE AND YALOBUSHA COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF
WATER VALLEY...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

Special weather statement, May 6, 7:30 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

MSZ015-070145-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
830 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...PONTOTOC COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES WEST OF RANDOLPH AT 830 PM
CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

PEOPLE IN PONTOTOC COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF PONTOTOC...SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

Special weather statement, May 6, 7:51 PM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

MSZ016-070230-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
851 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...LEE COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 24 MILES WEST OF TUPELO AT 851 PM
CDT...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

PEOPLE IN LEE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF TUPELO AND VERONA...
SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

Special weather statement, May 6, 8:14 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

MSZ016-070300-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
914 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...LEE COUNTY.

A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED 19 MILES
WEST OF TUPELO AT 914 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THREE QUARTER
INCH SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 1 MILE WEST OF PONTOTOC.

PEOPLE IN LEE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF TUPELO AND VERONA...
SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

Special weather statement, May 6, 8:49 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

MSZ017-070330-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
949 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...ITAWAMBA COUNTY.

A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED 19 MILES
WEST OF MANTACHIE AT 949 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

PEOPLE IN ITAWAMBA COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF FULTON...SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

Special weather statement, May 6, 9:35 PM CST, 35 minutes before

MSZ006-070415-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1035 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR...SOUTHERN TISHOMINGO
COUNTY.

A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED 23 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF BELMONT AT 1035 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN TISHOMINGO COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM
CLOSELY.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, McNairy

When: May 6, 10:10 PM CST to 10:15 PM CST
Where: McNairy County, 5 mi N of Michie
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.117, -88.450

Tornado, Henry

When: May 6, 10:25 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Henry County, 5 mi NE of Buchanan
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.483, -88.150

A tornado briefly touched down near Paris Landing State Park. Many large trees were twisted or snapped off the top.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lake

When: May 6, 10:40 PM CST to 10:45 PM CST
Where: Lake County, Ridgely
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.267, -89.483

One building was damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tipton

When: May 6, 11:00 PM CST to 11:05 PM CST
Where: Tipton County, Atoka
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.433, -89.783

Some trees were blown down.

Hail, Hardin

When: May 6, 11:10 PM CST to 11:15 PM CST
Where: Hardin County, Savannah
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.233, -88.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: May 6, 11:10 PM CST to 11:15 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Memphis
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.133, -90.017

A car was blown off of a road.

Hail, Tipton

When: May 6, 11:15 PM CST to 11:20 PM CST
Where: Tipton County, Brighton
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.483, -89.733

Hail, Henry

When: May 6, 11:30 PM CST to 11:35 PM CST
Where: Henry County, 6 mi NE of Buchanan
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.500, -88.133

Thunderstorm Wind, Tipton

When: May 6, 11:40 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Tipton County, Mason
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.417, -89.550

Several power lines were knocked down.

Hail, Tipton

When: May 6, 11:41 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Tipton County, Covington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.567, -89.667

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Tennessee, 2003 Warnings in Tennessee, 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: 5356477, 5356549, 5356480, 5356551, 5356478, 5356550, 5356481, 5356482, 5356552, 5356479.