- Tornadoes of 2003
-
Tornadoes of 2003 F4 Tornado Near Franklin in the May 2003 Sequence Outbreak
Tornado outbreak year: February–December 2003 Maximum rated tornado: F4 tornado, 9 locations, 4 occurrences Tornadoes caused (US): 1375[1] Damages (US): ≥$1.2 Billion (2006 USD)[2] Fatalities (US): 54[2] Fatalities (World): Unknown Tornado Years
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2003, primarily in the United States. Many tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally.
Contents
Events
January
January had no tornadoes confirmed in the United States. It was only the fourth time since 1950 that an entire month went tornado-free.[3]
February
February 2
A tornado killed 17 people near the town of Yumbi in the northwestern Bandundu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over 4,000 people were injured, 217 seriously.[4][4]
February 17–18
On the 17th, a tornado killed five people and injured 35 in Gadap Town, Pakistan. More than 80 structures were destroyed, and many livestock were killed as well.[5][6]
Another tornado struck the next day near Lahore in eastern Pakistan, killing two people and injuring 150. Four-hundred homes were destroyed in four villages.[6]
March
On 27 March, a series of six tornadoes stuck the south Florida area. including a Fujita class F2 that stuck the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami and caused one death and 14 injuries. The fatality was the first tornado-related death in Miami-Dade County since 1925. As a result of that tornado, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disbursed over $8.4 million in funds. Additionally, a class F1 tornado struck North Miami Beach and caused damage to trees and roofs, but no injuries were reported.
April
May
May 3–11
Main article: May 2003 tornado outbreak sequenceThe May 2003 Tornado outbreak sequence in the United States was a series of tornado outbreaks that occurred from May 3 to May 11. Tornadoes began occurring over the affected area on April 30, but the most prolific continuous period was the seven day period of May 4-10. There were 401 tornado reports in 19 states and one Canadian province, 1,587 reports of large hail, and 740 reports of wind damage. More severe weather broke out this week alone than any other week in U.S. history, though comparable events occurred in May 1917, 1930, and 1949 before the modern era of tornado detection. There was a severe weather outbreak every day during the week. There were 48 people killed by the tornadoes, and damages totaled nearly $1 billion.
The main meteorological factor for this series of tornado outbreaks was the presence of a persistent 500 mb trough over the western United States, coupled with a series of shortwave disturbances which propagated through the central and eastern United States. These shortwaves provided a mechanism for the deepening of surface low pressure areas, which followed the upper level flow from southwest to northeast. The cyclones induced a strong north to southeasterly flow in the low levels of the atmosphere (1000 mb, 850 mb) off the Gulf of Mexico. This persistent flow provided an abundance of warm, moist maritime tropical air in the central and eastern US.
May 4 (Bangladesh)
At least 20 people were killed by a tornado in several remote villages in the Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh.[7]
May 18
An F2 tornado struck Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, damaging more than 50 houses on a 7 km path.[8]
June
- June 22
Hail to the size of volleyballs fell in Aurora, NE on this day with another storm to the south producing tornadoes. 1 person died from a tornado and another died the next night due to a tornado. The largest hailstone ever measured, 17.8 cm (7.0 in) in diameter with a 47.6 cm (18.75 in) circumference.
- June 24
Main article: 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreakAround 5:00 pm a large F4 tornado touched down near Huron, South Dakota ripping through the rural farmland before completely annihilating the town of Manchester. The town of Manchester since then has become a ghost town.
July
- July 21
Around 3:20pm, an F1 tornado touched down in Kinzua Bridge State Park and destroyed the 103 year old Kinzua Bridge.
At about 7:30pm, a long tracked supercell thunderstorm spawned a tornado over the Mid Hudson Valley of New York and continued into Vermont, with a total discontinuous track of 61 miles. It had multiple vortices at one point and at its strongest over Kinderhook Lake was rated an F2. A barn was completely destroyed and its contents thrown into Kinderhook Lake. The tornado also picked up a trailer home and smashed it to the ground, causing severe injuries to the woman inside. This tornado continued into Vermont, causing severe tree damage as the parent thunderstorm started producing downbursts in and near the tornado track. A restaurant suffered damage as windows were blown out and part of the roof was peeled off. It finally lifted while in the Green Mountain State Forest after an hour and a half long rampage. Its width ranged from 50 to 150 yards. Damage was estimated at $1.7M.
August
September
- September 23
An F1 tornado hit Ewing and Lawrence townships, in Mercer County, New Jersey. There were no fatalities, but there was widespread damage to homes.[9] The tornado touched down in Ewing near Prospect Street, crossed Olden Avenue, and entered Lawrence Township near the Shabukunk Creek. In Lawrenceville, the tornado followed a path parallel to and slightly northwest of Princeton Pike. Olden Avenue in Ewing was closed for several days while debris and downed power poles were removed. Several retail stores at the Mercer Mall and the Nassau Park retail center were also damaged.[10]
October
On 29 October, A category F0 tornado struck suburban Miami Gardens, Florida. No deaths or injuries were reported, and damage was relatively minor; damage to fencing and landscaping,roof damage to a trailer, and destruction of a patio and carport. The widely scattered nature of the damage supported the Fujita F0 classification. NWS report
November
December
- December 21
A minor tornado hit near Inverleigh, Victoria, Australia, causing severe damage to a farm.[8]
See also
- Tornadoes by Year
References
- ^ Data from the Storm Prediction Center archives, which are accessible through SeverePlot, free software created and maintained by John Hart, lead forecaster for the SPC.
- ^ a b Storm Events All States
- ^ http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_14938.html
- ^ a b United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2003-02-10). "DRC: Experts revise figures on Yumbi tornado - only 17 dead". IRIN news. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=41502. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
- ^ United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2003-02-18). "Pakistan: Death and devastation following severe winter weather". IRIN news. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=19455. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
- ^ a b United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2003-02-19). "Pakistan: Destructive winter weather continues". IRIN news. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=19458. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
- ^ Tornado hits Bangladesh Accessed 2009-01-25.
- ^ a b Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes in Victoria Retrieved 06 April 2007.
- ^ Tornado damages homes and power lines in Lawrence Twp., The Daily Princetonian, September 24, 2003
- ^ NCDC: Event Details
External links
- U.S. tornadoes in 2003 - Tornado History Project
- Tornado Project tornadoes 2003
- Storm Data "2003 Annual Summaries" (NCDC)
Tornadoes by year 1980s 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 19891990s 2000s 2010s 2010 • 2011Categories:- Tornadoes of 2003
- 2003 meteorology
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