Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, May 3, 2007

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, May 3, 2007
Start: 2007-05-03T15:30
End: 2007-05-03T20:05
Location: Louisiana

May 3, 2007 · NWS JAN · 11 events in 4 counties and zones

Severe weather developed over the region during the day on May 3rd, peaked during the late afternoon hours and ended by early evening. The majority of the severe weather, as well as the hardest hit areas, occurred across Southeast Arkansas, Northeast Louisiana and West-Central Mississippi.

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: 1
Property damage: $2.6 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 happened

The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.

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 May 3, 1:25 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 1:25 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
225 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2007

.SHORT TERM...THE INITIAL LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
SOUTH-CENTRAL MS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EXIT
INTO ALABAMA BY THIS EVENING. A FEW REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED WITH THIS LINE.

A SECOND AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHERN LA
AND WILL SPREAD INTO THE FORECAST WITHIN A FEW HOURS. WIND
DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
ACTIVITY. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT AND INTO THE
FIRST HALF OF FRIDAY. THEN A DRYING TREND IS EXPECTED AS THE
WEAKENING MID LEVEL LOW MOVES OFF TO THE EAST.

.LONG TERM...STRONG RIDGING WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY
INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LEAD TO A WARM AND MAINLY DRY PERIOD. ANY
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT DOES DEVELOP WILL BE ISOLATED
AND LIMITED TO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. NO CHANGES MADE
TO THE EXTENDED FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON.

&&

.AVIATION...MAIN ISSUE FOR THE TAF SITES WILL BE TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON
AND OVERNIGHT. INITIAL LINE MAY AFFECT KJAN..KMEI AND KHBG. A
SECOND AREA OF TSTMS WILL AFFECT KGLH...KGWO AND KJAN LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
JACKSON       65  82  64  84 /  60  49  22  15
MERIDIAN      61  81  61  83 /  33  28  36  15
VICKSBURG     67  83  67  87 /  63  57  14  11
HATTIESBURG   63  83  66  85 /  27  42  30  24
NATCHEZ       66  81  67  85 /  62  56  12  15
GREENVILLE    64  79  66  86 /  66  54  14   7
GREENWOOD     65  79  66  85 /  62  48  21   6

&&

.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...NONE.
LA...NONE.
AR...NONE.
&&

SCW

Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 12:30 PM CST, 3 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
130 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
041830-
ADAMS-ASHLEY-ATTALA-BOLIVAR-CARROLL-CATAHOULA-CHICOT-CHOCTAW-
CLAIBORNE-CLARKE-CLAY-CONCORDIA-COPIAH-COVINGTON-EAST CARROLL-
FORREST-FRANKLIN LA-FRANKLIN MS-GRENADA-HINDS-HOLMES-HUMPHREYS-
ISSAQUENA-JASPER-JEFFERSON-JEFFERSON DAVIS-JONES-KEMPER-LAMAR-
LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEAKE-LEFLORE-LINCOLN-LOWNDES-MADISON LA-
MADISON MS-MARION-MONTGOMERY-MOREHOUSE-NESHOBA-NEWTON-NOXUBEE-
OKTIBBEHA-RANKIN-RICHLAND-SCOTT-SHARKEY-SIMPSON-SMITH-SUNFLOWER-
TENSAS-WARREN-WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WEST CARROLL-WINSTON-YAZOO-
130 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...

...THUNDERSTORMS...
A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS THE AREA.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME IN TWO
ROUNDS.

THE FIRST ROUND WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF
MISSISSIPPI DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...AFFECTING
HATTIESBURG...LAUREL AND MERIDIAN. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

THE SECOND ROUND OF STORMS WILL PUSH INTO NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS AND THEN INTO WESTERN
MISSISSIPPI LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SOME LOCATIONS TO BE AFFECTED BY
THESE STORMS INCLUDE WINNSBORO...VICKSBURG...AND JACKSON.  LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

...FLOODING...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LOCAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN
THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20.
THIS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF ROADS AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...OTHERWISE
ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY MORNING...MAY
10TH.

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 3, 12:34 PM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
134 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0132 PM     TSTM WND GST     BROOKHAVEN              31.58N 90.45W
05/03/2007  E70 MPH          LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

WILSON

Local storm report, May 3, 12:35 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
135 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0132 PM     HAIL             BROOKHAVEN              31.58N 90.45W
05/03/2007  E0.88 INCH       LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

WILSON

Local storm report, May 3, 12:59 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
159 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0135 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S BROOKHAVEN          31.55N 90.45W
05/03/2007                   LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN NEAR THE I-55 AND HIGHWAY 84 INTERSECTION.

0135 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BROOKHAVEN              31.58N 90.45W
05/03/2007                   LINCOLN            MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN.

&&

WILSON

Local storm report, May 3, 1:55 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
255 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0251 PM     HAIL             2 SE PINOLA             31.86N 89.94W
05/03/2007  E0.88 INCH       SIMPSON            MS   BROADCAST MEDIA

            NICKEL HAIL NEAR PINOLA. REPORT RELAYED BY WLBT TV.

&&

JCULIN

Local storm report, May 3, 2:23 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
323 PM CDT THU MAY 03 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0315 PM     HAIL             1 NW MIZE               31.88N 89.57W
05/03/2007  M0.25 INCH       SMITH              MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

HAMRICK

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 177 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:30 PM CST to 3:33 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, 0.69 mi S of Marcarco
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 32.710, -91.980

Substantial wind damage occurred from a evolving bow echo across extreme southwest Morehouse Parish, in the Westlake Community. Numerous large trees were uprooted, power lines blown down and some homes sustaining roof damage. This bow echo continued to intensify as it moved across the parish caused additional wind damage and two brief tornadoes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:45 PM CST to 3:48 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, Bastrop
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.780, -91.900

Substantial wind damage from wind gusts between 75 and 85 MPH occurred around Bastrop as a bow echo slammed through the parish. Dozens of trees and power lines were blown down along with many homes sustaining minor to major damage. Some people were trapped in their home from either downed trees or other debris blocking the way out. The International Paper Plant measured an 86 MPH wind gust. This bow echo continued to produce significant wind damage across the parish along with two brief tornadoes.

Tornado, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:47 PM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, 4.5 mi WNW of Beekman to 3.5 mi NW of Beekman
Rating: EF1
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $120,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.945, -91.952

This tornado touched down just northwest of Beekman and damaged one home where most of its roof was blown off. Additionally, numerous trees were uprooted and snapped along the 2 mile path.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:48 PM CST to 3:50 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, 4 mi N of Bastrop to 5 mi ENE of Bastrop
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.838, -91.900

Significant straight line wind damage occurred in about a two to three mile swath north of Bastrop near the Log Cabin community. Scattered damage occurred all throughout this area, with spots of more intense damage where apparent microbursts occurred. Nearly 20 homes suffered moderate to major damage, with a few destroyed, mainly due to large trees falling on the homes. One minor injury also occurred. Maximum winds in the swath estimated to be 90 to 100 mph.

Tornado, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:51 PM CST to 3:52 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, 6 mi NE of Bastrop to 6.5 mi NE of Bastrop
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $80,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.841, -91.827

This tornado briefly touched down in the Log Cabin Community and significantly damaged one home as it was shifted from its foundation and had roof damage. A number of trees were snapped and uprooted within the short path.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morehouse

When: May 3, 3:55 PM CST to 3:58 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County, 6 mi N of Beekman
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 33.007, -91.880

Significant straight line wind damage occurred along the Morehouse Parish/Ashley County border west of Rawls. A number of trees were uprooted, and a couple of large limbs fell on a home causing minor damage. The maximum winds were estimated at 70 to 80 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, West Carroll

When: May 3, 4:27 PM CST to 4:36 PM CST
Where: West Carroll County, Oak Grove to Kilbourne
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.870, -91.380

Several trees were blown down, mainly in the central and northern portion of the parish.

Hail, West Carroll

When: May 3, 4:37 PM CST to 4:39 PM CST
Where: West Carroll County, Kilbourne
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 33.000, -91.300

Thunderstorm Wind, West Carroll

When: May 3, 4:40 PM CST
Where: West Carroll County, 2 mi S of Pioneer
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 32.701, -91.430

A few trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: May 3, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, 3 mi E of Baskin
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.270, -91.699

A few trees were blown down between Baskin and Crowville. One tree blocked Highway 555 and had to be removed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Concordia

When: May 3, 7:50 PM CST to 8:05 PM CST
Where: Concordia County, 0.91 mi NE of St Genevieve to Vidalia
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 31.539, -91.519

A few trees were blown down.

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Louisiana, 2007 Warnings in Louisiana, May 2007

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: 31875, 31877, 32916, 32941, 32944, 32946, 32975, 32978, 32979, 32999, 33001.