Tornado and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 15, 2008

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 15, 2008
Start: 2008-05-15T01:30
End: 2008-05-15T03:35
Location: Texas

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

As a cold front approached the region, a squall line developed and produced isolated tornadoes and damaging winds.

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: $45,000
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 LCH wrote it up.

As a cold front approached the region, a squall line developed and produced isolated tornadoes and damaging winds.

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 Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 15, 12:36 AM CST, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 12:36 AM CST, 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
136 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

.DISCUSSION...QUICK UPDATE TO FORECAST TO INCLUDE NEW TORNADO
WATCH ISSUED FOR THE TEXAS LAKES AREA INTO CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL
10 AM. BOW ECHO WITH WELL DEFINED MARC SIGNATURE CURRENTLY HEADING
JUST A HAIR NORTH OF DUE EAST THROUGH TRINITY COUNTY WILL BE A
CLOSE CALL...AND MAY SKIRT JUST NORTH OF TYLER...NEWTON...AND
JASPER COUNTIES. MEANWHILE...A DEFINITE UPTICK IN CONVECTIVE
ACTION NOTED OVER THE PAST HOUR. CELL THAT DEVELOPED RAPIDLY
SOUTH OF GALVESTON ISLAND HEADING NORTHEAST TOWARD SABINE
LAKE...AND MAY IMPACT FAR SOUTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY BEFORE
HEADING INTO WESTERN CAMERON PARISH. OTHER UPDRAFTS ARE GOING UP
AROUND THIS CELL AND FARTHER NORTH INTO EASTERN TEXAS AS WELL.
UPDATED ZFP AND WCN ALREADY SENT.

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR LAZ027-028-030.

TX...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR TXZ180>182-201.

GM...SCEC ALL MARINE ZONES.

&&

13

Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 5:03 AM CST, 20 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
603 AM CDT WED MAY 14 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-151115-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY,
LA OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX EXTENDING FROM 20 NM
TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA TO CAMERON, LA EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA
EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM-VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-
ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-
LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-
LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
603 AM CDT WED MAY 14 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE TODAY AS SEVERAL
SHORTWAVES MOVE OVER THE AREA IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM ANY
SEVERE STORMS THAT DEVELOP WOULD BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

IN ADDITION...DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL RESULT IN THE
POTENTIAL FOR SOME STORMS TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS. LOCALIZED
FLOODING COULD BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND WHERE
TRAINING STORMS OCCUR.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY
INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...UNTIL A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT...AS WILL THE CHANCE FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN BEHIND THE FRONT AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

13

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Tyler

When: May 15, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Tyler County, 3.56 mi E of Chester
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.920, -94.540

Trees were blown down near FM 1745.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: May 15, 2:10 AM CST
Where: Jasper County, 1.37 mi WNW of Browndale
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 31.130, -93.990

Trees were blown down across Jasper County.

Tornado, Jasper

When: May 15, 3:00 AM CST to 3:01 AM CST
Where: Jasper County, 2.72 mi SE of Buna to 2.77 mi ESE of Buna
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.25 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.408, -93.932

Along Callier Loop, an EF-0 tornado briefly touched down and blew the roof off a barn and downed trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Newton

When: May 15, 3:35 AM CST
Where: Newton County, 0.91 mi NW of Deweyville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.310, -93.760

Trees were blown down in many locations across Newton County.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 2008 Warnings in Texas, 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: 107624, 107622, 107621, 107623.