The tornado outbreak of May 8, 2003

47 tornadoesKansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and 7 more states

47 tornadoes touched down across 10 states between 1:08 AM and 10:00 PM CDT, 4 of them rated F3 or stronger.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 8, 2003

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 47 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 47; 89th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
F3 or stronger: 4; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 0; Along all the paths
Injured: 146; Along all the paths
Path miles: 201; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:08 AM to 10:00 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 8, 2003

1:08 AM	F1	Stephens County OK	3.0	200	0
1:17 AM	F0	Stephens County OK	0.5	30	0
1:32 AM	F2	Jefferson County OK	6.0	150	0
2:23 AM	F2	Love County OK	4.0	440	0
2:54 AM	F2	Marshall County OK	7.0	300	0
6:04 AM	F1	Le Flore County OK	4.0	100	0
11:40 AM	F0	Pemiscot County MO	1.0	75	0
12:10 PM	F0	Adams County CO	0.1	50	0
12:17 PM	F0	Adams County CO	0.1	50	0
1:05 PM	F0	Weld County CO	0.1	50	0
1:13 PM	F0	Adams County CO	0.1	50	0
1:20 PM	F1	Gibson County TN	4.0	100	0
2:05 PM	F1	Morgan County CO	0.1	50	0
2:15 PM	F0	Essex County VA	0.2	50	0
3:00 PM	F0	Macoupin County IL	0.2	50	0
3:32 PM	F0	Cloud County KS	0.1	60	0
5:00 PM	F0	McClain County OK	0.2	30	0
5:04 PM	F0	Cleveland County OK	2.3	100	0
5:10 PM	F4	Cleveland County, Oklahoma County OK	17.3	700	134
5:15 PM	F0	Clay County IL	0.1	10	0
5:20 PM	F1	Gage County NE	7.0	150	0
6:05 PM	F0	Pottawatomie County KS	0.1	60	0
6:08 PM	F0	Noble County OK	0.8	50	0
6:13 PM	F1	Butler County KS	2.0	100	0
6:25 PM	F0	Greenwood County KS	2.0	75	0
6:31 PM	F1	Osage County KS	6.0	120	0
6:32 PM	F1	Greenwood County KS	3.0	100	0
6:40 PM	F3	Osage County KS	25.0	800	0
6:46 PM	F3	Osage County OK	45.0	880	0
6:56 PM	F3	Woodson County, Allen County KS	23.0	350	3
7:07 PM	F0	Osage County KS	0.1	60	0
7:10 PM	F0	Coffey County KS	0.1	80	0
7:10 PM	F0	Osage County KS	0.1	60	0
7:17 PM	F0	Douglas County KS	0.1	80	0
7:21 PM	F1	Allen County KS	3.0	125	0
7:24 PM	F0	Jefferson County KS	0.1	80	0
7:26 PM	F1	Douglas County KS	0.2	50	0
7:38 PM	F2	Douglas County KS	0.7	250	6
7:38 PM	F2	Anderson County KS	15.0	800	3
7:45 PM	F1	Perry County IN	3.0	100	0
7:52 PM	F2	Linn County KS	7.0	300	0
8:00 PM	F0	Breckinridge County KY	1.0	50	0
8:13 PM	F0	Montgomery County KS	2.0	75	0
8:28 PM	F0	Montgomery County KS	0.5	50	0
8:52 PM	F0	Labette County KS	0.5	55	0
9:21 PM	F0	Henry County, Johnson County MO	3.0	50	0
10:00 PM	F0	Johnson County MO	0.5	50	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 8, 2003

Kansas	21	2
Oklahoma	11	2
Colorado	5	0
Missouri	3	0
Illinois	2	0
Indiana	1	0
Kentucky	1	0
Nebraska	1	0
Tennessee	1	0
Virginia	1	0

Tornadoes in 2003 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.