A complex of showers and thunderstorms quickly moved through the Ark-La-Tex during the early morning hours of May 20th, ahead of second thunderstorm complex over Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas that slowly drifted east along and just ahead of a cold front and associated upper level trough. The storms that quickly progressed east across East Texas and North Louisiana shortly before…
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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 complex of showers and thunderstorms quickly moved through the Ark-La-Tex during the early morning hours of May 20th, ahead of second thunderstorm complex over Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas that slowly drifted east along and just ahead of a cold front and associated upper level trough. The storms that quickly progressed east across East Texas and North Louisiana shortly before daybreak did result in cell training over Northern Cherokee County Texas, where 2-3+ inches of rain fell in a short period of time. This resulted in flash flooding in the city of Jacksonville throughout the morning before the rains exited the area. This thunderstorm complex left pushed a large outflow boundary south into Southeast Texas and Central/Southern Louisiana by afternoon, leaving the air mass across much of the Ark-La-Tex stabilized. However, afternoon heating across a very moist air mass over Southeast Texas resulted in moderate instability developing over Northern Trinity and Polk Counties during the late afternoon, interacting with an approaching cold front to generate scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developing and shifting north northeast across portions of East Texas throughout the evening, resulting in numerous reports of large hail in Lufkin as well as in Joaquin. These severe thunderstorms spread northeast into Northwest Louisiana during the late evening throughout the early morning hours on May 21st, which downed numerous trees and produced large hail across portions of Northern Desoto, Southern Caddo and Bossier, and Northern Webster Parishes. While these storms weakened during the early morning hours on May 21st, additional scattered severe thunderstorms developed behind the front over East-Central Texas, which produced large hail throughout Cherokee and Rusk Counties just prior to daybreak. These storms finally weakened in intensity through mid and late morning as they spread across a drier and more stable air mass in wake of the cold frontal passage.
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 20, 4:52 AM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 552 AM CDT Sat May 20 2017 .AVIATION... Line of shra and tsra has moved across KTYR and KGG terminals, and movg into KTXK terminal. KSHV and KLFK may see this convection hold together by 20/12-14z. Vrbl mostly mvfr cigs exist to both the east and west of this convection, as does lgt s-se winds. Brief w-nw wind gusts possible along leading edge of convection. Mostly low vfr cigs before 20/18z. Isold to sct convection may redevelop later this aftn and tonight invok cold front slowly movg across area overnight. This front may stall out and affect mainly KLFK and KMLU beyond end of 21/12z fcst cycle with additional low cigs and precip possible./07/. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 338 AM CDT Sat May 20 2017/ DISCUSSION... Regional Radar Mosaic showing a decaying line of showers and thunderstorms extending from Southeast Oklahoma into portions of North Central and Central Texas. While the coverage of the activity has held its own over the last couple hours, intensity is beginning to wane as expected. This is the case even with mesoscale analysis showing surface based CAPE values near 2K J/KG just ahead of the convection across portions of Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas. Low level jet of 30-40kts is trying to sustain the convection but it's slowly beginning to veer around to more of a southwesterly direction thus becoming more parallel to the convection which could be counteracting the increased instability downstream. Also starting to see some CINH downstream from the line of convection as well which may suggest that the line may be trying to become slightly elevated as it begins moving into our region. Models continue to struggle with the timing of the remnants of this convection moving into our region, especially the 00/06z NAM output which has been playing catchup all night and for that reason has been discounted for this short term forecast cycle. The 00z GFS may be a little too aggressive moving the activity into our NW zones, at least early this morning, but will be used along with a blend of 00z ECMWF through the short term portion of the forecast. All this to say the line of convection should continue to decay as it moves into our region this morning but with PWATS forecast to exceed 1.5 inches across a good portion of our region today, week divergence aloft and weak frontal forcing from the northwest not to mention a mid level shear axis present in southwest flow aloft in advance of a deep shortwave trough across the Central/Southern Plains, confidence is high that convection should redevelop with the aid of daytime heating across most of the Four State Region today. All models support increased coverage throughout the day and for that reason, have kept high chance to likely pops going for the daytime hours. SPC has included much of the eastern half of our region including most of Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas in a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms this afternoon/evening. This risk is highly conditional on enough surface based instability developing ahead of a cold front this afternoon as upper forcing will be weak as will low level and deep level shear. Having said this, multicell thunderstorms appear to be the best bet with an isolated hail and/or wind damage threat. The cold front was located well behind the convection early this morning and will not be moving into our far northwest zones until near 18z today, and will make slow southeast progress through 00z, pushing into Northwest Louisiana beyond 00z this evening. Kept pops in the likely category across our southeast zones overnight as this will be the last area worked on by the front. West southwest flow aloft will contain weak perturbations in this flow which could generate isolated to scattered convection on Sunday even with the post frontal conditions across our region. Best coverage would likely be south of the I-20 corridor through Sunday Night before we begin to see changes again in the upper level pattern to our north and west. Vigorous upper level trough will remain locked across the Northern Plains/Upper Great Lakes region of the country with rather quick westerly flow across the Southern Plains to begin the upcoming work week. A disturbance caught in this flow across the TX Hill Country will quickly eject out our way with increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms to our west as we go through the day Monday. This is the lead disturbance in advance of a developing longwave trough across the Northern and Central Plains that will eventually become our permanent weather maker Monday Night into Tuesday with increasing chances of thunderstorms. This longwave trough should eventually become cutoff from the westerlies across the Tenn Valley on Wed as strong cold air advection sweeps into our region from the northwest in the wake of a cold front which should have swept through our entire region Tue Night. Post frontal showers will be possible across our eastern half on Wed due to the proximity of the closed low to our region before we see an end to the precip and clearing skies from west to east Wed Night into Thu. This cooler air will begin to moderate as we move into the later half of the upcoming work week but the forecast should remain dry through this period as well. Prelims to follow...13. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 84 67 81 63 / 70 50 30 10 MLU 86 68 81 63 / 60 60 40 10 DEQ 79 56 81 54 / 70 20 10 10 TXK 81 61 80 59 / 70 30 10 10 ELD 82 63 79 57 / 70 50 30 10 TYR 82 63 81 63 / 70 40 30 20 GGG 82 64 81 62 / 70 50 30 10 LFK 85 69 84 67 / 70 50 50 20 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Shreveport LA 409 AM CDT Sat May 20 2017 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-201800- 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- 409 AM CDT Sat May 20 2017 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... Showers and thunderstorms will increase across the Four State Region as we go through the day into this evening. With the aid of daytime heating, some of these storms could become strong to severe with damaging wind gusts and the possibility of large hail the main threats. Also locally heavy downpours will be possible this morning across the Middle Red River Valley of Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas. The activity should begin diminishing in coverage and intensity later this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Showers and thunderstorms will continue to be in the forecast through at least Tuesday of the upcoming work week. A strong cold front will move through the entire Four State Region Tuesday Night into early Wednesday bringing an end to the wet weather pattern. Much cooler temperatures will be in the forecast for the middle and later half of the work week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of emergency management personnel...amateur radio operators...and storm spotters may be needed later today into the evening hours due to the possibility of severe thunderstorms. 13
The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:29 UTC.
9 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding was reported at the intersection of Canada and Beaumont Street, the 3000 block of North Jackson Street, and the 1200 block of West Rusk Street in Jacksonville.
Golf ball size hail fell near Angelina College.
Quarter to ping pong ball size hail fell at the Crown Colony subdivision in South Lufkin near Angelina College.
Quarter size hail fell at the intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 69 in Lufkin.
A picture of ping pong ball size hail that fell in Joaquin was posted to the KSLA-TV Facebook page.
Ping pong ball size hail fell in the western sections of Rusk via the KETK-TV Facebook page.
Quarter size hail fell in the city of Rusk at the Sheriff's Office.
Quarter size hail fell at the Lake Striker RV Park Restaurant and Marina.
The Troup ISD Emergency Manager reported nickel size hail in Troup.
Penny size hail fell just east of Henderson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2017
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: 687987, 687989, 687990, 687991, 687992, 687994, 687996, 687997, 687998, 687999.