A mesoscale convective system which developed during the early morning hours of May 27th across central Oklahoma moved southeast during the morning and produced widespread wind damage across northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana. The atmosphere ahead of the complex was very unstable with moisture advection helping to feed the system as it moved southeast out of Oklahoma.
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.
A mesoscale convective system which developed during the early morning hours of May 27th across central Oklahoma moved southeast during the morning and produced widespread wind damage across northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana. The atmosphere ahead of the complex was very unstable with moisture advection helping to feed the system as it moved southeast out of Oklahoma.
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 27, 12:14 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 114 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 .DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR SVR TSTM WATCH 379 AND TO ADJUST TEMPS AND POPS AGAIN AS NEEDED FIRST PERIOD. /17/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1056 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008/ DISCUSSION... MCS REQUIRING FIRST PERIOD UPDATES TO MAX TEMPS...WINDS...POPS... DEWPOINTS ETC TODAY. SOUTHWARD PROGRESS OF SYSTEM MAY MAKE PRECIP LIKELY DOWN TO I 20 OF NE TX THIS AFTERNOON. ADDED POPS TO CENTRAL LA AS WELL FOR THE AFTERNOON...AND BUMPED UP SHV TO 40 PERCENT. EXPECT WINDS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY NELY OVER OUR NW PORTION OF CA...WILL VEER BACK AROUND TO SOUTHERLY BY LATE AFTERNOON. /17/ AVIATION... MCS CONTINUES TO DROP SOUTHWARD INTO N TX SLOWLY FORCING AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTO I-30 CORRIDOR. MOST OF THE HEAVY...ACTIVE PART OF THIS FEATURE CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD KTYR/KGGG. ADDED COVERAGE WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG THE OUTFLOW INTO KTXK AND PERHAPS EVEN KSHV AS HEATING BUILDS LATE AM/EARLY PM. EXPECT THE USUAL MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS TO ACCOMPANY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...BUT ELSEWHERE CIGS ARE LIFTING AND THINNING. SFC WINDS WILL CONTINUE S OR SW AROUND 10 KTS EVEN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY AS THE WEAK COOL FRONT REMAINS OVER KANSAS ATTM. THE FRONT IS TIGHT ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE UPPER RIDGE AND IS TAKING ON A BACK DOOR POSTURE...BUT WE CAN EXPECT ANOTHER NOCTURNAL MCS WHICH SHOULD HELP DROP IN A BRIEF NORTHERLY FLOW LATE TOMORROW ALONG THE I-20 CORRIDOR. /24/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 87 74 86 70 / 70 30 50 30 MLU 91 72 85 67 / 50 20 50 30 DEQ 76 67 84 65 / 60 60 50 20 TXK 79 70 84 69 / 70 40 50 20 ELD 85 69 84 66 / 70 40 50 20 TYR 83 73 87 69 / 70 30 50 30 GGG 86 73 87 68 / 70 30 50 30 LFK 90 73 91 68 / 50 10 50 30 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1200 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096- 097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-281100- 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 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FOUR STATE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AS A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE AREA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AS WELL AS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE DAY INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BE ONGOING NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR OF NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST DURING THE DAY MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT TRIES TO ENTER THE REGION FROM THE NORTH. THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY COULD POSSIBLY PRODUCE STRONG AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER...HAM RADIO OPERATOR...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT. 17
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1111 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 PM TSTM WND DMG 13 N DIERKS 34.31N 94.02W
05/26/2008 HOWARD AR EMERGENCY MNGR
A FEW LARGE LIMBS AND ONE SMALL TREE DOWN IN ATHENS.
&&
17PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1249 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1221 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N HUGHES SPRINGS 33.01N 94.63W
05/27/2008 CASS TX DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TXDOT REPORTS TREES DOWN ON FM 161 ABOUT 1 MILE NORTH OF
HWY 11.
1146 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 E PITTSBURG 33.00N 94.95W
05/27/2008 CAMP TX DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TREE DOWN TAKING A POWERLINE WITH IT.
&&
18PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
159 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 N KILGORE 32.47N 94.87W
05/27/2008 GREGG TX DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.
1255 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 E KILGORE 32.39N 94.77W
05/27/2008 GREGG TX DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
MULTIPLE TREES REPORTED DOWN.
&&
04PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
205 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM TSTM WND DMG OVERTON 32.28N 94.97W
05/27/2008 RUSK TX UTILITY COMPANY
SWEPCO REPORTS POWER OUTAGES AS A RESULT OF TREES DOWN ON
POWERLINES IN NORTHERN RUSK COUNTY.
&&
04PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
224 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1224 PM TSTM WND DMG OMAHA 33.18N 94.74W
05/27/2008 MORRIS TX UTILITY COMPANY
REPORTED POWERLINES DOWN.
0120 PM TSTM WND DMG LINDEN 33.01N 94.36W
05/27/2008 CASS TX UTILITY COMPANY
REPORTED POWERLINES DOWN.
&&
04The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was downed onto a transformer resulting in power outages.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, May 2008
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: 103593.