Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Mississippi, May 15, 2008

Name: Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Mississippi, May 15, 2008
Start: 2008-05-15T07:00
End: 2008-05-15T09:35
Location: Mississippi

May 15, 2008 · NWS LIX · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

Widespread heavy rainfall and strong to severe thunderstorms affected much of south Mississippi over a two day period. The adverse weather was the result of a series of strong upper level disturbances moving across the lower Mississippi Valley in advance of a strong and slow southward moving cold front.

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: $43,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 LIX 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 New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 15, 3:20 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 3:20 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
420 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

.UPDATE...
TOR WATCH #325 ISSUED THIS MORNING WITH VALID TIMES OF 5AM TIL
11AM. CONDITIONS WILL WARRANT ISOLATED TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT MAINLY
DURING THE MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL THEN BEGIN TO EVOLVE INTO MORE
OF A HEAVY RAINFALL SCENARIO WITH ISOLATED SEVERE TS POSSIBLE WITH
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING
BEING THE MAJOR HAZARDS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 313 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008/

SHORT TERM...
THE MAIN FOCUS TODAY WILL BE FLOODING ISSUES. THE FLOOD WATCH THAT
WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY WAS PLACES VERY WELL AND WILL SIMPLY BE
EXTENDED TO TAKE UP ALL SOUTH SHORE REAL ESTATE AS WELL. WILL NOT
EXTEND THE TIME OF THE WATCH YET SINCE CONFIDENCE ON HOW MUCH
RAINFALL WE GET TONIGHT IS SHAKY AT BEST.

CONDITIONS ARE RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT THIS MORNING OVER THE WESTERN
PART OF LA AND THE WESTERN GULF. ALL SMALL DEVELOPING ACTIVITY
WILL MOVE NE WHILE LARGE AREAS OF CONVECTION WILL MOVE EAST. THE
STRONGEST OF THESE CONVECTIVE CENTROID TS AREAS WILL BE ABLE TO
MODIFY THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES SUCH AS HELICITY. STORM
ENHANCED INFLOW WILL BE STRONGER THAN AREAS AWAY FROM THE INFLOW
CAUSING WINDS TO INCREASE QUITE A BIT WITH HEIGHT AND VEER AS
WELL. THIS MAY LEAD TO AN ISOLATED TORNADO WITH THE STRONGEST TS
TODAY BUT BY FAR WE WILL BE LOOKING AT TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. THE
STRONGEST TS WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...STRONG DAMAGING
WINDS AND INTENSE CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING.

LONG TERM...
FRONT MOVES SLOWLY THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY AND BRINGS SOME COOL
DRY AIR FOR THE WEEKEND AND THE FIRST PART OF THE NEW WORK WEEK.

AVIATION...
TS ACTIVITY WILL BE WIDESPREAD TODAY WITH NUMEROUS AREAS OF
TURBULANCE AND ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE TS POSSIBLY AFFECTING ONE
OR TWO TERMINALS. ACTIVITY WILL DECREASE THIS EVENING ONLY TO FIRE
AGAIN OVERNIGHT AND FINALLY MOVE OFFSHORE WITH THE COLD FRONT
FRIDAY MORNING.

MARINE...
STRONG TS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY AS A
COLD FRONT MOVES CLOSER TO THE AREA. SOME OF THESE TS WILL PRODUCE
STRONG WINDS TO 40+ KNOTS AND EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL. LIGHTNING
WILL BE FREQUENT TO CONTINUOUS WITH THE STRONGEST ACIVITY AS WELL.
ONCE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH...MODERATE NORTHERLY WINDS WILL FLOW
IN BRIEFLY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MCB  83  65  78  55 /  80  60  30  10
BTR  83  67  78  57 /  90  60  30  10
MSY  83  70  82  61 /  90  60  40  30
GPT  82  69  81  59 /  90  60  40  10

&&

.LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR LAZ056>070.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR LAZ034>040-046>050.

GM...NONE.
MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MSZ080>082.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MSZ068>071-077.

GM...NONE.
&&

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 4:24 AM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes before

LAZ046>050-056>058-151130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
524 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

...THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PEA SIZED HAIL MOVING
   ACROSS THE RIVER PARISHES...

AT 519 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PEA SIZED HAIL
NEAR PLAQUEMINE...OR ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BAYOU
SORREL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WINDS.

EXPECT HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE PATH OF THE STORM. LOCALIZED RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF UP TO 2 TO 3 INCHES  ARE POSSIBLE. MOTORISTS SHOULD WATCH
OUT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

Special weather statement, May 15, 5:15 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

LAZ046-048>050-056-057-151215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
615 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

...THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PEA SIZED HAIL SOUTHWEST
   OF DONALDSONVILLE...

AT 613 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PEA SIZED HAIL NEAR
DONALDSONVILLE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF PAINCOURTVILLE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WINDS.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Harrison

When: May 15, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, Gulfport
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 30.380, -89.080

Lightning struck a house causing a fire in the attic.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: May 15, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, Lyman
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.500, -89.120

Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down in Lyman and at various other locations across the county. Also, a sign was blown down on HIghway 49 near Lyman.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pearl River

When: May 15, 8:30 AM CST
Where: Pearl River County, Mc Neil to Picayune
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.670, -89.630

Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down in the Picayune, Carriere, and McNeil areas. One tree fell on a house in Picayune.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: May 15, 9:30 AM CST to 9:35 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, Pascagoula to Wade
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.370, -88.530

Trees were blown down in the Pascagoula and Wade areas.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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 Mississippi in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, May 2008

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: 104497, 101645, 101646, 101647.