Storm reports for May 15, 2003

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

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Other storms on May 15 →

On May 15, 2003, 209 hail, 162 damaging-wind and 49 tornado reports were logged across 18 states. The largest hail reported was 2.75″ (baseball size) in Hutchinson County, TX.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.

Storm reports by state

Cities with hail reported within 5 miles

Hail reports (209)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $22.3 million in property damage, $75,000 in crop damage and 7 injuries from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (421 events in 18 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Delaware County, OK (near Flint) · Tornado F1 · $1 million · 2 injuries
  “A F1 tornado touched down near Flint on Flint Creek or about 5 miles east southeast of community of Kansas. The tornado was on the ground for 3.2 miles and was 200 yards wide. Approximated 30-40 mobile homes and travel trailers were damaged or destroyed.”
• Mayes County, OK (near Salina) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $25,000 · 1 injury
  “Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew trees and power lines down. One tree at nearby Hudson Lake Marina fell onto a car and into a bedroom of a home. The person in the bedroom suffered minor injuries.”
• Seward County, KS (near Liberal) · Tornado F2 · $8 million
  “The second tornado stayed mainly in town. It destroyed several buildings and caused significant roof and tree damage.”
• Seward County, KS (near Liberal) · Tornado F2 · $6 million
  “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.”
• Nowata County, OK (near Nowata) · Thunderstorm wind 81 mph · $750,000
  “Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles did serious damage along a 6 miles long area from just southwest of Nowata to just northwest of Nowata. Two homes, an indoor livestock area and 5 barns were destroyed. Twelve other structures received significant roof damage.”
• Benton County, AR (near Bentonville) · Thunderstorm wind 81 mph · $700,000
  “Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour did significant damage in Bentonville. The brick walls of part of a business were reduced to rubble as the winds were let in as its garage door was blown open.Nine homes in the southeast part of town's Walnut Ridge subdivision were damaged.”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final