Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for May 15, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Denton, Grayson counties, Texas and tracked 28.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 73 and injuring 200. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Pilot Point to Sherman, TX.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Franklin, Butler, Floyd counties, Iowa and tracked 62.1 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 462.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Fayette County, Iowa and tracked 13.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 156.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi counties, Arkansas and tracked 20.9 miles, 250 yards wide at its widest, killing 35 and injuring 364.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Briscoe County, Texas and tracked 17 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 21 and injuring 80.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Randall, Potter counties, Texas and tracked 20.6 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 82. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Amarillo, TX.
Tornadoes
33 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 1968, in Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas and more, 4 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 71 people.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Independence County, Arkansas and tracked 0.3 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 24.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Hood County, Texas and tracked 2.5 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 54.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Xian, Shaanxi Province, China. It killed 200 people.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Near Qianning, Sichuan Province, China. It killed 200 people and injured 30.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Morgan County, Missouri and tracked 9.4 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Stover, MO.
144 on May 15, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Rooks County, Kansas and tracked 22 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SE Plainville/SE Stockton to W Woodston, KS.
An F5 tornado touched down in Denton, Grayson counties, Texas and tracked 28.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 73 and injuring 200. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Pilot Point to Sherman, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Denton County, Texas and tracked 13.2 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 25. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Justin/E Sanger, TX.
An F2 tornado touched down in Denton, Cooke counties, Texas and tracked 17.2 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Denton/Gribble Springs/SE Cooke County, TX.
An F2 tornado touched down in Bryan County, Oklahoma, killing 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Blue, OK.
An F2 tornado touched down in McPherson County, Kansas, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Moundridge, KS.
S. state of Texas, damaging or destroying many farms and rural homes in Denton and Grayson Counties before devastating the city of Sherman.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Kiowa, Caddo counties, Oklahoma and tracked 10.6 miles, injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Carnegie, OK.
An F4 tornado touched down in Haskell County, Texas and tracked 15.8 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Rule to NW Haskell, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Doniphan, Holt counties, Kansas and tracked 5.9 miles, 30 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: White Cloud, KS.
An F4 tornado touched down in Morgan County, Missouri and tracked 9.4 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Stover, MO.
An F4 tornado touched down in Riley, Wabaunsee counties, Kansas and tracked 35.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Junction City, KS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Dickinson, Geary, Riley counties, Kansas and tracked 13.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 200. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NW Chapman to Fort Riley, KS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Benton County, Missouri, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Warsaw, MO.
An F3 tornado touched down in Wabaunsee, Shawnee counties, Kansas and tracked 23 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Paxico to SE Grove, KS.
An F2 tornado touched down in Mayes County, Oklahoma and tracked 6.1 miles, 35 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Chouteau, OK.
An F2 tornado touched down in McCurtain County, Oklahoma and tracked 1.3 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Harris, OK.
An F4 tornado touched down in Mitchell, Nolan counties, Texas and tracked 10.1 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Champion, TX.
An F4 tornado touched down in Randall, Potter counties, Texas and tracked 20.6 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 82. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Amarillo, TX.
An F4 tornado touched down in Dallam, Sherman, Texas counties, Texas and tracked 59.9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Dalhart, TX to Guymon, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Weld County, Colorado and tracked 7.4 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5.
An F4 tornado touched down in Briscoe County, Texas and tracked 17 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 21 and injuring 80.
An F3 tornado touched down in Donley County, Texas and tracked 10.2 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Swisher County, Texas and tracked 1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F0 tornado touched down in Floyd County, Texas and tracked 4.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cattaraugus County, New York and tracked 3 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Gregory County, South Dakota and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Jones County, Texas and tracked 9.3 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Midland County, Texas and tracked 1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F5 tornado touched down in Franklin, Butler, Floyd counties, Iowa and tracked 62.1 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 462.
An F5 tornado touched down in Fayette County, Iowa and tracked 13.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 156.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi counties, Arkansas and tracked 20.9 miles, 250 yards wide at its widest, killing 35 and injuring 364.
33 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 1968, in Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas and more, 4 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 71 people.
An F4 tornado touched down in Independence County, Arkansas and tracked 0.3 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 24.
An F3 tornado touched down in Saint Clair County, Illinois and tracked 2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 60.
An F3 tornado touched down in Baxter County, Arkansas and tracked 7.3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 25.
An F3 tornado touched down in Mason, Logan counties, Illinois and tracked 12.6 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, injuring 25.
An F1 tornado touched down in DeWitt County, Illinois and tracked 25.4 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 50.
An F3 tornado touched down in Miami, Cass counties, Kansas and tracked 2.7 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Iroquois County, Illinois and tracked 7.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest.
In the late afternoon and early evening hours of May 15, 1968, a violent and devastating F5 tornado struck the city of Oelwein, Iowa and the town of Maynard, Iowa, killing 5 and injuring a further 156. The tornado caused ~$21 million in damages, and was one of two F5s that touched down as part of a tornado outbreak that began on May 15 and ended on the 16th.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
During the evening hours of May 15, 1968, an extremely powerful and violent multi-vortex tornado hit the communities of Hansell, Hampton, Charles City, Elma and Aredale across central and northern Iowa. It killed 13, injured 462, and was one of the largest tornadoes ever recorded in the state.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pitt County, North Carolina and tracked 8.5 miles, 120 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
An F2 tornado touched down in Robeson County, North Carolina and tracked 10.1 miles, 33 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 4.
An F2 tornado touched down in Richland County, South Carolina and tracked 3.8 miles, 40 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3.
An F3 tornado touched down in Stephens County, Oklahoma and tracked 0.8 miles, 180 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
An F1 tornado touched down in Franklin Parish, Louisiana and tracked 0.5 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Branch County, Michigan and tracked 1.2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
An F2 tornado touched down in Scott County, Missouri and tracked 4 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 15.
An F3 tornado touched down in Payne County, Oklahoma and tracked 7 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
Widespread severe weather, including six tornadoes, struck northern and central Oklahoma on May 15, 1990. The worst of the tornadoes developed just west of Stillwater, and then moved through northern parts of the city. The storm heavily damaged two apartment complexes, and severely damaged or destroyed 83 homes. One person died and 12 were injured.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
An F3 tornado touched down in Harper County, Oklahoma and tracked 11.5 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An F3 tornado touched down in Collingsworth, Wheeler counties, Texas and tracked 15 miles, 450 yards wide at its widest.
May 15, 1991, was a very active day for tornadoes in Oklahoma, as at least five tornadoes struck the western and northwest parts of the state. The strongest tornado was sighted near Laverne, which was rated as an F3. The tornado was 800 to 900 yards wide, its path was 11.5 miles long, and it resulted in three injuries in the Laverne area. The parent storm also produced hail the size of grapefruits.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
33 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 1991, in Louisiana, New Mexico, Kansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Texas.
Thunderstorms that developed in a moist southwest flow produced one inch hail at Redfield and Port Leyden.
An F3 tornado touched down in Gray County, Kansas and tracked 6 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
Thunderstorm winds knocked over several trees and powerlines around Atlanta, mainly near Briarcliff Road, Woodrow Way (North Dekalb), Pinebluff Street, and Presidential Way.
Brief tornado over open country reported by spotter.
Late afternoon thunderstorms produced dime- to quarter-size hail.
20 to 40 homes damaged. Estimated windspeed. Damage estimate for entire county.
An F3 tornado touched down in Washington, Johnson, Cedar counties, Iowa and tracked 47 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 47.
An F3 tornado touched down in Buffalo, Pepin counties, Wisconsin and tracked 8 miles, 60 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
A tornado developed two miles Southwest of Washington Iowa and produced a 30 mile long continuous path of damage and debris as it moved to the Northeast at nearly 30 mph. The tornado weakened and lifted before reaching I-80 near West Branch Iowa shortly before 6pm.
An F1 tornado touched down in Stearns County, Minnesota and tracked 9 miles, 30 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 30.
26 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 1998, in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois. They killed 1 people.
As the system mentioned above continued to evolve, a widespread outbreak of severe weather took place over Iowa. Strong upper level dynamics moved over the state over the top of an unstable air mass.
After the F2 tornado tore through Lafayette county a series of severe thunderstorms pummeled southcentral and southeast Wisconsin with numerous reports of tree limb damage and trees downed, which in turn downed a few power lines.
Tornado touched down in northern Buffalo County, and continued on ground for 9 miles into eastern Pepin County. Two homes were destroyed in Pepin County. House collapse injured 6 family members. Trailer home also damaged.
Midday thunderstorms spawned a tornado south of York damaging a farmstead significantly. The tornado set down two miles north of Fairmont and was on the ground for seven miles before lifting just east of McCool Junction.
60 to 70 mph wind gusts downed power lines and trees. A tornado touched down near Eyota and moved northward along Highway 42, damaging several farms, before lifting near Elgin.
47 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 2003, in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, Kansas.
The tornado began 1 mile west of town and first tore through the northwest part of Liberal destroying several mobile homes and throwing a pickup into the debris. Other homes in the area received heavy roof damage.
Many thunderstorms developed across the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. One of these storms produced a long track tornado that eventually moved into Roger Mills County, Oklahoma.
Severe thunderstorms producing numerous tornadoes along with large hail and damaging winds moved northeast across the northwestern...central and eastern Texas panhandle during the late afternoon and evening hours.
A tornado moved northeast across a rural area, but did strike the county gravel pit and a few ranches. Approximately 1 1/2 miles of utility poles were brought down by the tornado and rear flank downdraft along U.S. Highway 160.
A warm front was located near Abilene as strong upper level energy moved in from the west. Several thunderstorms developed along and to the north of the front with two storms becoming supercells and producing most of the severe weather that evening.
A combination of a prefrontal outflow boundary drapped across northern Indiana and a MCV from overnight convection across Nebraska the night before provided the focus for convection to develop.
As a cold front approached, a squall line developed. Additional storms sprung up in front of the squall line, and where storms merged, a few tornadoes touched down. Along the squall line, winds of 60 mph blew down trees and caused minor damage to homes.
Severe thunderstorms producing five tornadoes...large hail and damaging winds moved across the eastern sections of the Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon and evening hours. One person was injured by a tornado...although no fatalities occurred.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Hood County, Texas and tracked 2.5 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 54.
A tornado and severe weather outbreak occurred on the afternoon and evening hours of May 15th. Nineteen tornadoes occurred, including one EF-4 and one EF-3. Six fatalities occurred in the city of Granbury, TX.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Johnson County, Texas and tracked 7.79 miles, 1,733 yards wide at its widest, injuring 7.
During the evening hours of May 15, 2013, a violent and deadly EF4 tornado struck the southeastern part of Granbury, Texas. It killed 6 people, making it the deadliest tornado of the Tornado outbreak of May 15–17, 2013 and the deadliest violent tornado in the region since an F4 struck Lancaster, Texas in 1994.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scattered convection impacted central North Carolina as a deep upper level trough and associated strong surface cold front approached and crossed the area.
Abundant moisture over the region along with a potent upper level disturbance created another severe weather and heavy rain event across South Texas on May 15th. Around daybreak, storms moved into La Salle and McMullen counties where tornadoes produced damage near Woodward.
A strong upper level system moved through the Midwest region and produced a squall line of thunderstorms across the Missouri Ozarks. This squall line of storms produced numerous reports of wind damage and a few weak tornadoes.
Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Iowa during the evening of May 15th. These storms produced a small, short-lived tornado between Fort Atkinson and Calmar (Winneshiek County).
An approaching cold front triggered numerous severe thunderstorms over southeastern New York. These storms produced 3 tornadoes in the Lower Hudson Valley, as well as microbursts and macroburts.
An approaching cold front triggered numerous severe thunderstorms over southern Connecticut. These storms produced 2 tornadoes in the Lower Hudson Valley, as well as microbursts and macroburts.
An EF0 tornado touched down in Orange County, New York and tracked 0.64 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An intense cold front move through central New York and northeast Pennsylvania during the afternoon of the 15th. This front produced a major squall line which eventually evolved into a derecho with estimated wind speeds of up to 115 mph in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
Severe thunderstorms impacted portions of Litchfield County during the afternoon of May 15th. A supercell thunderstorm crossed northern portions of the county, resulting in hail up to two inches in diameter, two confirmed tornadoes, and straight-line wind damage.
On Friday, May 15, 2020, an intense line of thunderstorms quickly developed near Lake Ontario and raced eastward into eastern New York.
Thunderstorms developed into eastern Oklahoma during the morning of the 15th. The strongest storms produced damaging wind and a tornado across northeastern Oklahoma.
One of the bigger tornado events for southern WI over the past 10-15 years with 2 EF-2s occurring and 8 tornadoes in total.
35 tornadoes were recorded on May 15, 2025, in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan.
During the afternoon hours on May 15th, a developing complex of embedded supercell thunderstorms moved eastward into western Wisconsin.
A large and deep low pressure system (for mid-May standards) over the Upper Mississippi River Valley spawned severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes. An intense line of thunderstorms tracked across Lake Michigan during the evening of May 15th.
A strong line of storms traveled northeast through western Wisconsin during the late afternoon of May 15th. There was one tornado in St Croix County and several locations of damaging wind including areas of significant wind damage in Dunn, Chippewa, Barron, and Rusk Counties.
Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an occluded front Thursday afternoon (5/15) across western Wisconsin. Storms tracked through the area during the late afternoon and early evening hours.
1 on May 15, oldest first.
Hurricane Chanchu reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 916 mb, a category 4 storm.
11 on May 15, oldest first.
Training showers and thunderstorms moved southeast acrosssouthern West Virginia overnight, along a warm frontalboundary. A rainfall of 2.5 to 3.5 inches was common inin 6 hours.
Thunderstorms developed during the morning hours of the 15th, producing several reports of large hail and high winds.
When the Mother's Day storm runoff from the Huron Mountains overwhelmed a dike holding back Silver Lake in northwest Marquette County, a wave of water inundated the Dead River basin all the way to Lake Superior in Marquette.
A warm front lifted northward into the region during the early morning hours of May 15th, triggering a large complex of thunderstorms across Iowa. These storms tracked eastward into north-central Illinois producing very heavy rain west of the Illinois River during the morning.
Due to heavy rains in April and into the first half of May, the North Fabius River was well above flood stage on May 15th.
A deep upper level trough tapped into Gulf and Atlantic moisture which led to heavy rain across the Mid Atlantic. Tropical-like conditions resulted in showers and thunderstorms to persist before a cold front moved through later in the day.
During the latter half of May, an unusually long-lasting, roughly six-week period of generally minor flooding commenced along the Platte River in South Central Nebraska, impacting local areas from Gothenburg downstream to near Grand Island.
The Coastal Bend experienced a significant heavy rain event that began on the morning of May 15th and ended on the morning of May 16th. As much as 10 to 15 inches of rainfall occurred across the south side of Corpus Christi, Flour Bluff, Ingleside, and Aransas Pass.
During the day on the 15th, much of Iowa found itself firmly in the warm sector with a warm front/stationary front eventually settling across northern Iowa.
A cold front slowly sagged southward through Pennsylvania during the afternoon hours of May 15th. A line of storms spread ahead of this front, causing a widespread 1-3 inches of rain across North Central and Northeast Maryland.
Training thunderstorms around the Keweenaw Bay produced impactful flash flooding in Baraga County on the morning of the 15th.
24 on May 15, oldest first.
Thunderstorm winds toppled huge trees, shattered windows and downed home antennas across the community of Air Line.
Three-quarter inch hail was reported at Priceville by Emergency Management.
Powerlines and trees were blown down.
Strong thunderstorm wind downed trees in scattered areas across the southern portion of the county. A tree fell on a house in Vina, considered one of the oldest in that town, destroying it. Damage was heaviest in the south-central and southeast portion of the county.
Trees fell on two homes and a church. Numerous other trees down in the area.
Hail up to two inches in diameter fell across the southwest part of Drew County. The hail fell for more than an hour and caused extensive damage to the tomato crop. Crop damage was estimated at around $1,000,000.
An early morning severe thunderstorm raked the south central Texas Panhandle with large hail.
Hail reports over a 17 minute period ranged from nickel size to larger than baseballs. The large, jagged hailstones caused considerable damage to structures and vehicles.
2 horses killed by falling tree hit which was hit by lightning.
Severe thunderstorms raked across the eastern Texas panhandle during the early morning hours producing very damaging winds along with some hail. The hardest hit locations were the town of McLean in southeastern Gray county and around Canadian in Hemphill county.
Numerous hailstones 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches with some as large as 2 3/4 inches did damage to over 1500 cars as well as to many roofs and gutters.
A male was hit in the head by a hailstone and required four stitches. Many homes and cars were damaged by the large hail, especially south of 32nd avenue south.
Severe storms moved across northwest Indiana May 15th, producing significant wind damage.
The first major severe weather event of the season resulted in widespread reports of wind damage and large hail. This event can be best described as having two parts. The first round of severe storms occurred well in advance of the actual cold front.
The slow-moving upper level storm system responsible for isolated strong thunderstorms over New Mexico on the 14th edged closer to New Mexico on the 15th.
A shortwave trough sliding east across northern New Mexico interacted with deep moisture and instability over the area to produce scattered strong to severe thunderstorms.
An approaching cold front triggered numerous severe thunderstorms over northeastern New Jersey.
A line of severe thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon of May 15, 2018. This line progresses southeastward across central Pennsylvania, producing widespread wind damage and isolated large hail.
On the afternoon of the 15th, a cold front pushed into the southern South Plains initially developing thunderstorms in the Permian Basin.
With a warm, somewhat humid air mass in place, a strong cold front moved through southern New England during the evening hours. In addition, southern New England was on the southern edge of a strong jet stream aloft.
A cluster of storms moving out of Oklahoma moved across the northeastern quadrant of the CWA. Strong damaging winds occurred with the leading edge storms, but trailing storms produced hail. A destructive area of 95 mph winds damaged much of Honey Grove in eastern Fannin County.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed near an outflow boundary across northeastern Oklahoma during the early morning hours of the 15th. The strongest thunderstorms produced large hail up to ping pong ball size.
Showers and thunderstorms developed near a cold front across portions of North and Central Texas. An isolated severe storm produced quarter size hail in Dallas County.
2 on May 15, oldest first.
A strong high pressure ridge over the region produced hot temperatures across interior Northern California from May 14th to May 17th, with many new daily high temperature records set.
An upper level ridge of high pressure was anchored from South Texas across the Western Gulf of Mexico and across much of the Ark-La-Tex during May 15th. This resulted in much above normal temperatures areawide, with readings climbing into the lower 90s in the afternoon.
1 on May 15, oldest first.
Warm weather combined with cold and fast moving area waterways lead to 5 deaths across the region in the month of May.
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The Brownfield Fire was discovered on May 15, 1994, in New Mexico, and burned 1,455 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Radio Fire was discovered on May 15, 1995, in New Mexico, and burned 5,940 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Watatis Pk Fire was discovered on May 15, 1998, in Washington, and burned 1,260 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Mosquito Fire started on May 15, 1999, in Alaska, and burned 26,199 acres.
The Mallory Swamp Fire was discovered on May 15, 2001, in Florida, and burned 20,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Hartzog Fire was discovered on May 15, 2001, in Orange County, Florida, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Spurs Fire was discovered on May 15, 2002, in Alaska, and burned 64,834 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Red Lake 468 Fire was discovered on May 15, 2002, in Minnesota, and burned 8,480 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Furnish Fire was discovered on May 15, 2002, in Las Animas County, Colorado, and burned 8,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Indian Fire was discovered on May 15, 2002, in Arizona, and burned 1,366 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Red Rock Fire was discovered on May 15, 2003, in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, and burned 2,763 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Peppin Fire was discovered on May 15, 2004, in Lincoln County, New Mexico, and burned 64,488 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Bart Fire was discovered on May 15, 2005, in Maricopa County, Arizona, and burned 14,534 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Little Delta River Fire was discovered on May 15, 2006, in Alaska, and burned 14,200 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Taylor Fire was discovered on May 15, 2006, in Catron County, New Mexico, and burned 1,830 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Warren Grove Fire was discovered on May 15, 2007, in New Jersey, and burned 17,050 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on May 15, 2007, in Presidio County, Texas, and burned 1,280 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Childress Ranch Fire was discovered on May 15, 2008, in Crockett County, Texas, and burned 2,740 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Vista Fire was discovered on May 15, 2009, in Lincoln County, New Mexico, and burned 13,969 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The East Transwestern Fire was discovered on May 15, 2009, in Chaves County, New Mexico, and burned 13,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Fresquez 2 Fire was discovered on May 15, 2009, in Lincoln County, New Mexico, and burned 10,094 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Augustine Fire was discovered on May 15, 2009, in New Mexico, and burned 4,991 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cotton Fire was discovered on May 15, 2010, in California, and burned 2,044 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Blue Lake Fire was discovered on May 15, 2013, in Garden County, Nebraska, and burned 5,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Grand Fire was discovered on May 15, 2013, in Kern County, California, and burned 4,346 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Pulgas Fire was reported on May 15, 2014, in Riverside County, California, and burned 14,416 acres.
The Hondito Fire was reported on May 15, 2017, in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, and burned 7,020 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Mothers Day Fire was reported on May 15, 2017, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and burned 2,850 acres.
The Happy Fire was reported on May 15, 2018, in Yavapai County, Arizona, and burned 1,700 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Clow Fire was reported on May 15, 2018, in Kittson County, Minnesota, and burned 1,300 acres.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire was a wildfire that burned about one-third of Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. The fire ignited on May 15 and was fully contained on June 4, 2026, after burning 18,379 acres (7,438 ha).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Sharpe Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, and burned 29,209 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Chocolate Chip Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Randall County, Texas, and burned 22,110 acres.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Santa Barbara County, California, and burned 18,379 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Line Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Oldham County, Texas, and burned 10,913 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Rita Blanca Unit 32 Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Dallam County, Texas, and burned 8,907 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Ballard Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Baca County, Colorado, and burned 5,879 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Cherokee Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Briscoe County, Texas, and burned 3,222 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Comanche Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Motley County, Texas, and burned 1,991 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Windmill Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Morton County, Kansas, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Chainey Mountain Fire was reported on May 15, 2026, in Hall County, Texas, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
20 on May 15, oldest first.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Balkha, Hindu-Kush, Kazahkstan, Afghanistan, India. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Esfahan, Iran. It killed 20 people.
An earthquake struck Olot,barcelona, Spain. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Xian, Shaanxi Province, China. It killed 200 people.
An earthquake struck Oaxaca, Veracruz, Mexico. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Taal Volcano, Philippines. It killed 12 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Near Qianning, Sichuan Province, China. It killed 200 people and injured 30.
An earthquake struck Northern, California, United States. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Alaska Peninsula, United States. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Huanillos, Northern, Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Gjirokaster, Albania.
An earthquake struck Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy.
An earthquake struck Maos, Java, Indonesia.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Northern, Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Serbia, Balkans NW.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Crete, Greece. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Barkham, Matakari, Hamtarot, Pakistan. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Khekheti, Georgia. It killed few people (about 1 to 50) and destroyed 45 houses.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Andizhan, Osh, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan. It killed 4 people, destroyed 5,500 houses and did $31 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Mayotte, Comoros. It injured 3.
2 on May 15, oldest first.
Hekla, Iceland erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3.
Kelimutu, Indonesia erupted. It killed 1 person.
7 on May 15, oldest first.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck N. California, United States.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Shumagin Islands, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 6.1 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Northern Chile.
A tsunami struck Sydney Harbor, Australia, with a maximum water height of 0.03 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck Gulf of Finland, with a maximum water height of 1.5 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Northern Chile.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck Northeast U.S.A., United States, with a maximum water height of 0.22 meters.
7 on May 15, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1948, reached Kp 7 and lasted 27 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 72; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1953, reached Kp 8- and lasted 39 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 85; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1956, reached Kp 8+ and lasted 51 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 156; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 43 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1972, reached Kp 8- and lasted 9 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 38; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1981, reached Kp 7 and lasted 6 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 54; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 1997, reached Kp 7- and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 56; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began May 15, 2005, reached Kp 8+ and lasted 39 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 87; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 43 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
2 on May 15, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $3.2 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 1, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 15, 1998 to May 15, 1998.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.2 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 1, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 15, 2017 to May 18, 2017.
4 on May 15, oldest first.
Two brothers visiting from New York City were caught in a rip current about 150 yards offshore from an unguarded section of Sunny Isles Beach. Lifeguards arriving on the scene rescued one but the other drowned.
Persistent high pressure over the western Atlantic produced moderate to strong east winds across south Florida. This led to the development of strong rip currents along the east coast beaches.
Onshore flow increased the rip current risk...as well as the falling tide.
A warm front pushed through the Missouri Bootheel during the morning hours with moist and unstable air spreading over the region. An upper level disturbance moving through triggered numerous showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on May 15, 2015.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.