Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed during the predawn hours of May 21st across the southern half of Northeast Texas. These thunderstorms produced copious amounts of rainfall which resulted in some localized flooding in and around the city of Lufkin, Texas.
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.
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed during the predawn hours of May 21st across the southern half of Northeast Texas. These thunderstorms produced copious amounts of rainfall which resulted in some localized flooding in and around the city of Lufkin, Texas.
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 21, 2:53 AM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 353 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015 .DISCUSSION... SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING WAS PROVIDING LIFT FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST MID MORNING. ON THE SURFACE A SOUTHWARD MOVING COLD FRONT HAD REACHED THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE CWA. UNSEASONABLY LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT WILL FOLLOW TODAY... EASILY MOVING THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA BY EVENING AS THE SURFACE FRONT REACHES THE COAST. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY BECOME ISOLATED BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH ONLY SMALL CHANCES TONIGHT ACROSS WESTERN AREAS. PLEASANT TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL REPLACE THE TROPICAL AIR THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE...AND THURSDAY MORNING TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE 50S ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WITH THE FRONT STALLING ALONG THE COAST...SOUTHERLY 850MB FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MOISTURE NORTHWARD...SO LOOK FOR CONVECTION TO INCREASE FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN ZONES WHEN THE NEXT SHORTWAVE APPROACHES THE REGION. THIS WAVE WILL RIDE UP THE BACK SIDE OF A WEAK RIDGE...WHICH SHOULD LIMIT RAIN CHANCES EASTERN AREAS TO ISOLATED. A MUCH STRONGER IMPULSE IN SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL APPROACH THE AREA LATE SATURDAY WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASING AS SURFACE WINDS BECOME SOUTHERLY. WIDESPREAD CONVECTION WILL SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT...CONTINUING THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. PW VALUES EXPECTED TO BE HIGH...SO HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. SUNDAYS SYSTEM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER...WHICH WILL BRING ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF CONVECTIVE STORMS MONDAY AND AGAIN TUESDAY. FINALLY BY TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...UPPER LEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL...AND ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL BE LIMITED... RESULTING FROM DAYTIME HEATING. EXCEPT FOR THE BRIEF BREAK IN TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY TODAY AND FRIDAY...EXPECT VERY HUMID WEATHER DUE TO THE CLOUDINESS AND RAIN... WITH HIGHS MOSTLY LOWER AND MID 80S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 74 59 77 66 / 50 30 30 20 MLU 74 57 77 64 / 20 10 10 20 DEQ 72 55 71 60 / 50 20 50 20 TXK 71 57 73 62 / 50 20 40 20 ELD 71 57 74 62 / 30 10 20 20 TYR 74 62 77 67 / 50 30 50 20 GGG 75 61 78 67 / 50 30 40 20 LFK 81 67 81 70 / 50 30 40 20 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 14
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 503 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-211700- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-DE SOTO- RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE-NATCHITOCHES-WINN- GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP- MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG-HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK- PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE- 503 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015 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... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WIND...HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. RAINFALL MAY BE HEAVY SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
600 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015
TXZ149-152-165-211145-
CHEROKEE TX-ANGELINA TX-NACOGDOCHES TX-
600 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL NACOGDOCHES...
SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE AND NORTHWESTERN ANGELINA COUNTIES UNTIL 645 AM
CDT...
AT 559 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
WODEN...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF LUFKIN...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LUFKIN...NACOGDOCHES...HUDSON...HUNTINGTON...WELLS...POLLOK...
WODEN...ETOILE...MELROSE...OAK RIDGE...CENTRAL...HOMER...CLAWSON AND
REDLAND.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORM MERGERS...AND
MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH
FLOODED ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3126 9490 3128 9489 3128 9488 3130 9490
3132 9490 3134 9491 3134 9495 3135 9496
3138 9495 3140 9497 3152 9499 3163 9439
3134 9433 3123 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 1059Z 251DEG 9KT 3144 9459
24SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
621 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015
ARZ070>072-LAZ001>004-TXZ097-108>112-125-126-138-211200-
MILLER AR-LAFAYETTE AR-COLUMBIA AR-CLAIBORNE LA-BOSSIER LA-
WEBSTER LA-CADDO LA-MARION TX-TITUS TX-CAMP TX-CASS TX-UPSHUR TX-
FRANKLIN TX-MORRIS TX-BOWIE TX-HARRISON TX-
621 AM CDT THU MAY 21 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN COLUMBIA...MILLER
AND LAFAYETTE COUNTIES...NORTHWESTERN CLAIBORNE...NORTHERN BOSSIER...
NORTHWESTERN CADDO AND NORTHWESTERN WEBSTER PARISHES...CAMP...
SOUTHERN TITUS...CASS...SOUTHEASTERN BOWIE...SOUTHERN FRANKLIN...
NORTHWESTERN HARRISON...NORTHERN UPSHUR...MORRIS AND MARION COUNTIES
UNTIL 700 AM CDT...
AT 620 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR GARLAND TO 8 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MOUNT PLEASANT...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MOUNT PLEASANT...ATLANTA...SPRINGHILL...GILMER...PITTSBURG...
STAMPS...LEWISVILLE...LEESBURG...VIVIAN...MOUNT VERNON...
DAINGERFIELD...HAYNESVILLE...JEFFERSON...LINDEN...HUGHES SPRINGS...
LONE STAR...QUEEN CITY...NAPLES...CULLEN AND ORE CITY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
LEAD TO ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH
FLOODED ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3341 9354 3290 9309 3266 9498 3290 9515
3300 9515 3297 9517 3296 9517 3296 9520
3312 9531 3319 9531
TIME...MOT...LOC 1120Z 315DEG 25KT 3332 9372 3310 9510
24The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:59 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 69 south of Lufkin was flooded and closed.
Highway 69 between Lufkin and Burke was closed from excessive heavy rainfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 567187, 567190.