Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain developed ahead of and along a slow moving cold front sinking south across the area during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. Thunderstorms filled in during the late afternoon hours in the unstable and moist environment ahead of the front.
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 CLE wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain developed ahead of and along a slow moving cold front sinking south across the area during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. Thunderstorms filled in during the late afternoon hours in the unstable and moist environment ahead of the front. Severe thunderstorms brought downed trees and penny to quarter size hail to portions of northern Ohio, including Huron, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Summit, and Geauga Counties. An estimated 13,000 people reportedly lost power in Cuyahoga County alone. The numerous rounds of rain also resulted in flash flooding across the central portion of Cuyahoga County. Numerous reports of flooded roadways were received across Parma, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Center, Cuyahoga Heights, and Cleveland Heights with water reportedly up to the bumper in many areas. I-77 had to be closed due to 2 to 3 feet of water on the interstate near Grant. I-480 and I-490 both had flooded entrance and exit ramps. Cars were reported washed off the road into ditches along Old Denison Ave. and Memphis Ave in Brooklyn. West Creek came out of its banks and flooded Broadview and Snow Roads in Parma. The flooding developed as torrential rain moved through the urban corridor with much of this area receiving between 1.5 and 3.0 inches of rain in 2 hours with storm totals reports of 2.5 to 4 inches of rain.
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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 30, 12:37 PM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 137 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 .SYNOPSIS... MOISTURE WILL SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND INTERACT WITH A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH. THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE ERIE OVERNIGHT WITH A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING NORTHEAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY ON SUNDAY. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH ON SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVERHEAD ON TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... A FEW SHOWERS ON THE RADAR LATE THIS MORNING AND MORE SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. THE MAJORITY OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL NOT DEVELOP UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MANY BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS ALLOWING FOR QUITE A BIT OF HEATING. BASED ON THE HIGH TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY I BELIEVE THE CURRENT FORECAST HIGHS ARE TOO LOW. WITH THE LATE ARRIVAL OF THE CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION I BELIEVE WE WILL WARM INTO THE MID 80S IN MANY LOCATIONS. I WILL ADJUST THE CURRENT HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY INTO THE MID 80S. NO OTHER CHANGES. ORIGINAL DISCUSSION...THE FORECAST AREA REMAINS IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PUSHING SOUTH ACROSS ONTARIO WHILE A PLUME OF MOISTURE CAN BE SEEN SPREADING NORTH UP THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS MOISTURE WHICH IS JUST STARTING TO SNEAK INTO NW INDIANA WILL BE DIRECTED EASTWARD WITH TIME AS THE TROUGH PUSHES SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE FRONT ITSELF WILL BE SLOW TO ARRIVE...BUT MOISTURE WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND REMNANTS FROM UPSTREAM ACTIVITY MAY PROVIDE A TRIGGER FOR CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS SEEM A LITTLE TOO FAST WITH SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS MORNING AND THINK ACTIVITY WILL FOLLOW MORE OF A DIURNAL CYCLE...INCREASING IN COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON. PW VALUES ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO AROUND 1.70 INCHES AS THE DEEPER MOISTURE ARRIVES. INSTABILITY MAY BE A LITTLE BETTER OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHERE MORE SUN IS LIKELY. MODELS SHOWING AROUND 1000 J/KG OF ML CAPE DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AND EXPECT THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO BE FOCUSED IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT FROM NORTHWEST OHIO...EXTENDING NE TOWARDS CLEVELAND AND ERIE BY THIS EVENING. STORM MOTION TODAY WILL BE TO THE NE AT ABOUT 20 KNOTS WHICH WILL SUPPORT TRAINING OF STORMS. DUE TO THE THREAT OF TRAINING...MODERATE STORM MOTION AND ENHANCED PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES...EXPECTING SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE COVERAGE OF THE MORE ROBUST CONVECTION IS STILL SOMEWHAT HARD TO DETERMINE SO DID NOT WANT TO GO WITH ANY FLOOD WATCHES...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE RECENT DRY CONDITIONS...BUT WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. ADDED A MENTION OF HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FAVORED AREAS. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER ALSO HAS THE AREA IN A MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS WITH WIND GUSTS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. THIS WOULD BE MAINLY IN THE FORM OF A WET MICROBURST WITH LIMITED ORGANIZATION TODAY. ONE QUESTION WILL BE IF CONVECTION TENDS TO PROPAGATE TO THE SOUTH WITH TIME TOWARDS THE BETTER INSTABILITY. THIS IS NOT REAL FAVORABLE GIVEN THE WARM MID LEVELS BUT WILL BE SOMETHING TO WATCH AND COULD REDUCE THREAT OF TRAINING...OR AT LEAST SHIFT IT FARTHER SOUTH. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... CONVECTION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING WITH A DECREASING TREND AS WE LOSE DIURNAL SUPPORT...BEFORE THE NEXT WAVE RIDES NORTH ALONG THE FRONT ON SUNDAY. THIS SHOULD PLACE A SWATH OF RAIN ON THE NORTHWEST FLANK OF THE LOW WITH THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN THE EAST AHEAD OF IT. DID RAISE TEMPERATURES IN NE OHIO AND LOWER THEM TOWARDS TOLEDO. MODELS ARE PLACING A 1.50-2.00 MAXIMA OF RAIN TO THE NORTH OF THE STORM TRACK BUT THIS MAY END UP CLIPPING NORTHWEST OHIO OR PASSING JUST NORTH OF OUR AREA. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAIN WE RECEIVE TODAY...WE MAY NEED TO CONSIDER A FLOOD WATCH FOR SUNDAY IF A SECONDARY ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED. A LIMITING FACTOR FOR THE HEAVY RAIN COULD BE THE INTRUSION OF A MID-LEVEL DRY SLOT AS SEEN ON THE GFS SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO PIN DOWN THE TRACK OF THE HIGHEST QPF. THE FRONT WILL EVENTUALLY BE PULLED SOUTH BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE ON MONDAY EVENING WITH ANY LINGERING PRECIPITATION BECOMING LIGHT. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED ON MONDAY WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH THE LOW 60S. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTHEAST OVERHEAD ON TUESDAY WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES HELPING TEMPERATURES RECOVER TO THE 70S EXCEPT 60S NEAR LAKE ERIE. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... IN GENERAL...THE MODELS HAVE UPPER RIDGING OVER THE AREA UNTIL LATE FRI WHEN A WEAK TROUGH IS SHOWN MOVING EAST THRU THE LAKES. DRY AIR IS IN PLACE ON WED THEN BY FRI ENOUGH MOISTURE APPEARS TO HAVE MOVED BACK INTO THE AREA FOR SCT SHRA/TSRA TO DEVELOP. NEAR NORMAL TEMPS ON WED SHOULD INCREASE TO ABOVE NORMAL BY FRI AS EAST WINDS TURN SOUTH. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH OCCASSIONAL SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IMPACTING THE TAF LOCATIONS. IN GENERAL CEILINGS WILL REMAIN VFR WITH BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A WAVE DEVELOPING ON THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FRONT OVERNIGHT. THE SOUTHWARD PROGRESSION OF THE FRONT BEFORE THE WAVE DEVELOPS WILL LIKELY DICTATE THE AREAS OF IFR TONIGHT. RIGHT NOW TOL...CLE AND ERI HAVE THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING IFR CONDITIONS AFTER 06Z. MVFR AND IFR WILL BE WIDESPREAD BY 10Z. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AS WELL. THUNDER WILL ALWAYS BE POSSIBLE BUT THE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH DURING THE NIGHT HOURS. SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND THEN NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT. OUTLOOK...NON VFR LIKELY SUNDAY. && .MARINE... A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SE ACROSS LAKE ERIE THIS EVENING CAUSING SW WINDS OF 10 TO 20 KNOTS TO SHIFT TO NW THEN NE AND INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS FOR SUNDAY. NUMEROUS TSRA WILL OCCUR WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE SO BEWARE. A SCA WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THE END OF TONIGHT THRU SUN EVE. WINDS AND WAVES WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH SUN NIGHT INTO TUE AS HIGH PRESSURE PUSHES INTO THE LAKE. THE HIGH SHOULD PROVIDE LIGHT E TO NE WINDS ON WED AS IT BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST OF THE LAKE. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NY...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...KEC NEAR TERM...GARNET SHORT TERM...KEC/OUDEMAN LONG TERM...ADAMS AVIATION...GARNET MARINE...ADAMS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 636 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 OHZ003-006>009-017>019-311045- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON- 636 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING. THE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS OR MINOR FLOODING. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. STORM MOTION WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TODAY COULD HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ALONG A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ON SUNDAY BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN. THIS RAINFALL COULD CAUSE ADDITIONAL PONDING OF WATER AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THERE WILL BE A HIGH RISK OR RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. OHZ010>014-020>023-027>033-036>038-047-089-PAZ001>003-311045- LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT- PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK- MAHONING-MARION-MORROW-HOLMES-KNOX-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE- NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA- 636 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO...NORTHWEST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING. THE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS OR MINOR FLOODING. STORM MOTION WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TODAY COULD HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS APPROACHING SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ALONG A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ON SUNDAY BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN. THIS RAINFALL COULD CAUSE O'DONNELL PONDING OF WATER AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THERE WILL BE A HIGH RISK OR RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE LAKE ERIE SHORLINE ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. LEZ142>149-162>169-311045- MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH OH-RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS OH- THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION OH-VERMILION TO AVON POINT OH- AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK OH-WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE LAKE OH- GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT OH-CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM VERMILION TO AVON POINT- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY- 636 AM EDT SAT MAY 30 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON LAKE ERIE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:38 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported large limbs and some power lines brought down due to thunderstorm winds.
Trees down in Parma and a Wall collapsed at Brookpark Auto Auction due to thunderstorm winds.
The public reported large trees down across Fulton Road at Archmere and Northcliff and W 58th Street in Brooklyn. Penny size hail accompanied the storm.
A trained weather spotter reported penny size hail in Bedford.
The fire department reported several large limbs down in Lorain from thunderstorm winds.
The public reported quarter size hail in Twinsburg.
The public reported quarter size hail in LaGrange.
Dispatch reported trees down in Bainbridge.
A trained spotter reported penny size hail.
Widespread wind damage in Brooklyn Heights. Trees also down on Fairmount Rd in Cleveland Heights and in Shaker Heights.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail in Garfield Heights.
Numerous reports of flooded roadways across Parma, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Center, Cuyahoga Heights, and Cleveland Heights with water reportedly up to the bumper in many areas. I-77 had to be closed near Grant with 2 to 3 feet. I-480 at Ridge Rd Exit was completely flooded. Cars were reported washed off the road along Old Denison Ave. and Memphis Ave in Brooklyn. West Creek came out of its banks and flooded Broadview and Snow Roads in Parma. Poe Rd. flooded in Brooklyn Center. Flowing water and dangerous conditions reported near E 55th St and I-490. The flooding developed as torrential rain moved through the urban corridor with much of this area receiving between 1.5 and 3.0 inches of rain in 2 hours with storm totals reports of 2.5 to 4 inches of rain.
A trained weather spotter estimated wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph with branches down across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2015
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: 576253, 576230, 576194, 576199, 576238, 576205, 576206, 576254, 576212, 576208, 576209, 573473, 576211.