Numerous reports of wind damage and an isolated tornado accompanied a squall line of thunderstorms that moved rapidly east-southeast. The wind damage was mainly along and south of a line from Van Buren to Greenville to Sikeston.
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 PAH wrote it up.
Numerous reports of wind damage and an isolated tornado accompanied a squall line of thunderstorms that moved rapidly east-southeast. The wind damage was mainly along and south of a line from Van Buren to Greenville to Sikeston. The atmosphere was moderately unstable, with cape values on the order of 1500 to 2000 J/kg. The relatively compact but organized and vigorous convective system maintained intensity as it progressed east to the Mississippi River. The damaging wind events occurred along and south of a surface frontal boundary, where dew points were in the mid 60's.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 3, 11:22 AM CST, 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 1222 PM CDT Sun May 3 2020 .UPDATE... Issued at 1209 PM CDT Sun May 3 2020 Updated Aviation discussion for the 18 UTC TAF issuance. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Tuesday night) Issued at 319 AM CDT Sun May 3 2020 Still not a lot of clarity for the convective evolution through the day today. The current convection over central Illinois and Indiana should continue to push eastward and not impact our region this morning. The best chance for surface-based convection will be near the cold front from the Bootheel through west Kentucky this afternoon. Some of the CAMs bring an organized cluster of storms eastward across the far southern portions of the forecast area mainly this afternoon, but there is no sign of any development to our west so far. This is not surprising with the cap in play. The cap will make it difficult for thunderstorms to sustain themselves, which will limit the severe potential this afternoon. That said it is hard to ignore the surface airmass in place ahead of the front. High temperatures have trended upward a bit with the lack of convection early today, and with dewpoints expected to be in the middle 60s, still cannot rule out a stray strong storm near the front this afternoon. A few showers or storms may linger near the southern border, especially in west Kentucky past 00Z, but tonight should be dry for the most part. Some clearing is indicated, especially across the north, and winds will become light overnight, so we trended low temperatures downward. Won't be surprised to see quite a few readings down into the middle 40s across the north. Our next storm system is still on track to impact the region late Monday afternoon through Tuesday. Guidance is still struggling to bring the frontal boundary back north into our area, but the WRF runs and other CAMs push convection southeast through southeast Missouri and into west Tennessee from 21Z Monday to 00Z Tuesday. The ARW version has a well developed bow-echo diving through that region, which definitely supports the Slight Risk from SPC over southeast Missouri. The entire area is expected to get wet Monday night, as the primary upper-level disturbance moves east southeast through the region. Isentropic lift will result in widespread rain/showers, and GFS and NAM soundings indicate that some elevated instability could be achieved. Will have a mention of thunder throughout the region Monday night. Heavy rainfall will be the primary concern, especially if some training develops. A few showers may linger over the southeastern half of the area into Tuesday, but any thunder potential should be out of the area by then. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Saturday) Issued at 319 AM CDT Sun May 3 2020 Well below normal temperatures will be the main headline during the long term period and likely continuing beyond the 7 day forecast. Upper level flow will be primarily northwesterly through the period. Timing of weak perturbations within this type of flow pattern is hard to pin down at longer time ranges. However, there has been a decent signal for a weak 500mb wave to move through on Wednesday as a surface low moves from southern Michigan into the upper Ohio Valley and drags a cold front through our area, accompanied by light shower activity. The signal is greatest in the EVV Tri-state and points further northeast, so this is where slight PoPs are in place. Given some marginal instability present with steeper lapse rates, decided to include thunder mention with this package. After a dry period Wednesday night and Thursday, a stronger mid level wave pushes southeastward from the Northern Rockies into the lower Ohio Valley area Thursday night into Friday. Guidance continues to struggle at generating any instability with this system, tending to limit it to the southwest of our cwa. Friday may end up being a rather crummy day if rain and thick cloud cover persists a good portion of the day. A deep upper low will pivot across the Great Lakes/Northern New England region late next week into the weekend. Weak disturbances within the northwesterly flow may rotate around this feature and could result in some light precipitation for portions of the area. As previously mentioned, temperatures will be well below normal through the period. Warmest readings will be on Wednesday with mid 60s to lower 70s and then falling into the low to mid 60s by Friday and Saturday. Potential exists for some areas to be stuck in the 50s for highs on Friday. Overnight lows will primarily be in the 40s. However, some of our northern locations may drop into the upper 30s Friday night. Next weekend will need to be watched closely for any potential frost, especially if the forecast were to trend any colder. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1209 PM CDT Sun May 3 2020 A line of thunderstorms will impact KCGI and KPAH from roughly 19-22z this afternoon. Could see brief MVFR/IFR cigs, reduced visibilities to low MVFR or IFR at times as well as strong variable gusts. Thunder could make it as far north as KEVV/KOWB this afternoon. Further north, a cold front is working its way through southern Illinois, northwest Kentucky, and southwest Indiana where winds have become northwesterly at KMVN. The wind shift should make it to KEVV/KOWB between 18 and 20z. Convection will be clear of all terminals by 23z, when all terminals should become VFR with light northwesterly winds. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && UPDATE...DWS SHORT TERM...DRS LONG TERM...SP AVIATION...DWS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 1114 AM CDT Sun May 3 2020 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-041615- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope- Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh- Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves- Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell- Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean- Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter- Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid- 1114 AM CDT Sun May 3 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A line strong to severe storms with the potential to produce damaging winds and large hail will move across southern portions of southeast Missouri, far southern Illinois, and southern portions of western Kentucky this afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall and lightning can also be expected with any thunderstorms today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday A chance of thunderstorms is forecast mainly over southeast Missouri late Monday afternoon and then throughout the region Monday night. A few strong to severe storms cannot be ruled out over southeast Missouri late Monday afternoon into the early evening. Damaging winds will be the primary concern, but some hail will also be possible. Otherwise, locally heavy rainfall and lightning will be the primary concerns Monday night. There is a small chance for thunderstorms over the Evansville Tri State Wednesday afternoon. Brief heavy rain and lightning would be the main hazards. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is requested this afternoon across southern portions of southeast Missouri, extreme southern Illinois, and southern portions of western Kentucky. DWS/RJP
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 199 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:31 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were down across the county. People were trapped by falling trees in a campground near Van Buren. Power outages were reported.
Three large trees were uprooted.
Numerous trees were down on the north side of Doniphan.
Five miles north of Oxly, a trained spotter measured a wind gust to 58 mph.
Two trees were down in a back yard. One tree was a healthy one-foot thick tree that snapped.
Trees were blown down, including one that landed on a camper. The damaged camper was on Highway 172 east of U.S. Highway 67.
The roof was completely blown off a closed business a mile south of the U.S. Highway 67 junction with Route 142. In Neelyville, the roof was taken off a porch. Trees were down, and live power lines were down.
A large uprooted tree fell on a house in Poplar Bluff, with residents trapped inside. On the east side of Poplar Bluff, the side metal wall panel of an open shed blew off. At the Poplar Bluff airport just east of town, the automated observing system measured a wind gust to 66 mph.
Trees were down, and roofs were damaged.
From Dexter to Bernie, trees were snapped. In Bernie, shingles were blown off a roof, and branches were down.
Trees were blown down.
Just south of Brownwood, a car was flipped several times by high winds. Nearby, a tree was blown down across County Road 216 east of BB Highway.
The EF-1 tornado damaged or destroyed several farm buildings. The farm buildings included large metal storage buildings. The concrete anchors of a shed were pulled from the ground. The tornado cut through the city of Marston, where the city hall and an apartment building were partially unroofed. At least three power poles were broken. Numerous trees were uprooted. The discernable tornado path ended in the Mississippi River flood plain. Peak winds were estimated near 95 mph.
On the north side of Sikeston, a tree about 18 inches in diameter was snapped and blown across a road.
Several trees were down in and around East Prairie.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Missouri, 2020Warnings in Missouri, May 2020
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: 883837, 883839, 883840, 883841, 883842, 883843, 883844, 883845, 883846, 883851, 883847, 883850, 883855, 883852, 883874, 883854.