Severe thunderstorms developed rapidly across the four state region on 05/15. A very unstable airmass was in place across the region ahead of a southward moving cold front and an associated upper level storm system.
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 episode as NWS SHV wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms developed rapidly across the four state region on 05/15. A very unstable airmass was in place across the region ahead of a southward moving cold front and an associated upper level storm system. The storms produced widespread hail and wind damage across much of the region.
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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 15, 1:51 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 251 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 .DISCUSSION... APPROACHING COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THRU CENTRAL OK. COOLER AIR SITTING WELL BEHIND WIND SHIFT. THREE AREAS OF CONVECTION TO WATCH THIS EVENING. WARM SECTOR HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF...ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH LA...MAINLY SOUTH OF I-20. SEVERAL HAIL REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. TAIL END OF MCS MOVING ACROSS AR...EVOLVED INTO SCT AREA TSTMS NOTRH OF I-30. FINALLY...CONVECTION ALWAYS POSSIBILITY ALONG MAIN FRONT...WHICH IS REASON TO KEEP POPS GOING OVERNIGHT. WARM SECTOR CONVECTION MORE DIURNAL SO EXPECT THIS AREA TO DECREASE THIS EVENING. EXPECT AREA NORTH OF I-30 TO TRANSLATE EAST AND FILL IN AS OUTFLOWS FROM NORTH LA...AND CENTRAL OK...LIKELY COLLIDE IN THIS REGION...AND GOING LIKELY POPS ALONG LA/AR BORDER LATER TONIGHT. WITH LACK OF DYNAMICS NOT GOING HIGHER THAN 60 PERCENT... ALTHOUGH MODERATE DIRECTIONAL UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE MAY ENHANCE HEAVY RAIN AND UPDRAFT POTENTIAL IN THE EVENING HOURS. WNW UPPER FLOW SHOULD PUSH FRONT THRU AREA DURING DAY...LEAVE IN SLIGHT CHANCE SOUTH BY WED AFTN...EXPECT A CLOUD SHIELD TO REMAIN FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS FOLLOWING FRONTAL PASSAGE. DRIER AND SEASONALLY COOLER CONDITIONS TO FOLLOW INTO THE WEEKEND. /VII/ && .AVIATION... AFTERNOON SURFACE ANALYSIS HAS A COLD FRONT STRETCHING ALONG A KJLN-KMLC-KGYI LINE AT MID-AFTERNOON...WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHRA/TSRA ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WITH THE ADDITION OF FRONTAL FORCING...THE CONVECTION SHOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM CONTINUING AFTER SUNSET. FOR THE 16/0000 UTC TAF PACKAGE...I EXPECT MVFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES AT MOST TERMINALS DUE TO CIGS AND VSBYS. POSSIBLE REDUCTIONS TO IFR ARE POSSIBLE...EXPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE STRONGER STORMS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST OF OUR AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT OF FLIGHT CATEGORIES EXPECTED THEREAFTER. /21/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 66 79 57 80 / 40 30 10 0 MLU 65 78 56 79 / 40 30 10 0 DEQ 59 79 51 79 / 50 10 10 0 TXK 63 78 55 79 / 40 20 10 0 ELD 63 77 53 79 / 40 20 10 0 TYR 64 79 57 80 / 40 30 10 0 GGG 64 79 56 79 / 40 30 10 0 LFK 66 82 58 80 / 40 30 20 0 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 07/07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1200 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096- 097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-161100- ANGELINA-BIENVILLE-BOSSIER-BOWIE-CADDO-CALDWELL-CAMP-CASS-CHEROKEE- CLAIBORNE-COLUMBIA-DE SOTO-FRANKLIN-GRANT-GREGG-HARRISON-HEMPSTEAD- HOWARD-JACKSON-LA SALLE-LAFAYETTE-LINCOLN-LITTLE RIVER-MARION- MCCURTAIN-MILLER-MORRIS-NACOGDOCHES-NATCHITOCHES-NEVADA-OUACHITA- PANOLA-RED RIVER LA-RED RIVER TX-RUSK-SABINE LA-SABINE TX- SAN AUGUSTINE-SEVIER-SHELBY-SMITH-TITUS-UNION AR-UNION LA-UPSHUR- WEBSTER-WINN-WOOD- 1200 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...NORTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE INCREASING AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES ACROSS THE FOUR STATE AREA AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS EVENING. A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT...WHICH MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A BRIEF PERIOD OF LARGE HAIL AND LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH TO THE SOUTH OF THE FOUR STATE AREA DURING EARLY TOMORROW. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO THE EARLY MORNING...MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20...BEFORE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE FOUR STATE AREA. THE ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS...SKYWARN NETWORKS...AND STORM SPOTTERS...IS NOT EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. VII
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1156 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 AM HAIL 8 S PROVENCAL 31.54N 93.20W
05/15/2007 E1.00 INCH NATCHITOCHES LA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
03PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
223 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0110 PM TSTM WND DMG RUSTON 32.53N 92.64W
05/15/2007 LINCOLN LA NEWSPAPER
POWER LINES DOWN IN RUSTON
0110 PM LIGHTNING RUSTON 32.53N 92.64W
05/15/2007 LINCOLN LA NEWSPAPER
LIGHTNING STARTED A HOUSE FIRE IN RUSTON
0145 PM HAIL DOWNSVILLE 32.63N 92.41W
05/15/2007 E0.75 INCH LINCOLN LA PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL JUST WEST OF DOWNSVILLE. 50 MPH WINDS
ESTIMATED AS WELL.
&&
15PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
235 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM HAIL 5 SE GRAYSON 32.00N 92.05W
05/15/2007 E0.75 INCH CALDWELL LA TRAINED SPOTTER
0225 PM HAIL COLUMBIA 32.10N 92.08W
05/15/2007 E1.00 INCH CALDWELL LA EMERGENCY MNGR
0225 PM HAIL 3 W COUSHATTA 32.02N 93.39W
05/15/2007 E0.88 INCH RED RIVER LA EMERGENCY MNGR
0150 PM TSTM WND DMG MINDEN 32.62N 93.28W
05/15/2007 WEBSTER LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN.
&&
MFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
244 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0240 PM TSTM WND DMG CLARKSVILLE 33.61N 95.06W
05/15/2007 RED RIVER TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN.
&&
MFThe Shreveport radar (KSHV), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:58 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees down and a barn destroyed along Hwy 41 north of Foreman.
A few trees were blown over including one on top of a car. The driver of the car received a cut on his forehead but he was treated at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
Trees downed across County Road 76.
Trees and power lines were downed in town as well as across County Road 45.
Hail reported on US 82.
Estimated wind gust from local law enforcement along US 82.
Trees were downed west of town along with the tin roof damage to some outbuildings.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, May 2007
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: 27930, 27926, 27927, 27932, 27933, 27934, 27929, 27937, 27936.