Severe Weather Report For The Past 23 Hours Ending At 1100 UTC May 17, 2025
- Bob Cox
- May 17
- 6 min read
This report summarizes severe weather events, including tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds, that occurred across multiple states in the United States over the past 24 hours, based on data provided by the National Weather Service (NWS) and other reporting agencies. The events primarily affected regions in the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-South, and Mid-Atlantic, with significant impacts from tornadoes, hail up to baseball size, and wind gusts exceeding 80 mph. Below is a detailed analysis of the events, organized by weather type, with key impacts, geographic distribution, and notable incidents.
1. Tornado Activity
Overview
A total of 28 confirmed or reported tornado events occurred across seven states: New Jersey, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. These tornadoes ranged in intensity, with one confirmed EF-0 in New Jersey and others reported based on radar signatures, debris, or structural damage. The tornadoes caused localized damage, including downed trees, structural damage to homes, and debris scattering.
Key Tornado Events
Folsom, NJ (16:52 EDT, Atlantic County): An EF-0 tornado struck near Collings Lakes, causing damage along Malaga Road. Large branches were downed, and metal roof sheeting was torn off structures. No injuries were reported.
Des Arc, MO (19:55 EDT, Iron County): A tornado was reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol near Annapolis. Damage was unknown at the time, with the event time estimated by radar.
Bell City, MO (20:51 EDT, Stoddard County): A tornado was reported southeast of Bell City, correcting an earlier report. No specific damage details were provided.
Carbondale, IL (21:12 EDT, Jackson County): A tornado was reported on the ground, with no immediate damage details.
Stone Head, IN (00:00 EDT, Brown County): Reports indicated multiple homes leveled in the Bellsville Pike area, suggesting a potentially significant tornado event. This was one of the most severe reports, though further assessment is needed.
Somerset, KY (02:57 EDT, Pulaski County): A trained spotter reported a tornado, with no specific damage details provided.
London-Corbin Airport, KY (03:47 EDT, Laurel County): Likely tornado damage was reported at the airport, indicating structural impacts.
Geographic Distribution
Missouri: 7 reports (Iron, Stoddard, Scott, Cape Girardeau counties)
Indiana: 9 reports (Greene, Monroe, Brown counties)
Illinois: 2 reports (Jackson, Williamson counties)
Kentucky: 5 reports (Todd, Pulaski, Laurel, Logan, Union counties)
New Jersey: 1 report (Atlantic County)
Tennessee: No confirmed tornadoes, but wind damage was widespread.
Impacts
Structural Damage: Notable in Scott County, MO (Blodgett, 21:18 EDT), where a home sustained structural damage, and in Brown County, IN, where multiple homes were leveled.
Debris and Tree Damage: Common across most reports, with debris spotted in Cape Girardeau, MO, and large branches downed in New Jersey.
Highway Disruptions: A tornado crossed I-55 in Scott County, MO (Lambert, 23:46 EDT), potentially impacting traffic.
Radar Confirmation: Several events, such as in Logan County, KY (02:55 EDT), were supported by Tornado Debris Signatures (TDS) on radar.
2. Large Hail Reports
Overview
A total of 162 hail reports were recorded across 21 states, with hail sizes ranging from 1.00 inch (quarter-sized) to 4.00 inches (softball-sized). The largest hail was reported in Barlow, KY, and Sullivan, IN. Hail caused significant damage, including broken windows, vehicle dents, and structural impacts.
Key Hail Events
Barlow, KY (21:58 EDT, Ballard County): 4.00-inch hail was reported, with windows busted out, marking one of the largest hail events.
Sullivan, IN (22:34 EDT, Sullivan County): 4.00-inch hail was reported, with additional reports of 2.75-inch (baseball-sized) hail causing shredded leaves, vehicle dents, and broken windows.
Waynesville, MO (18:05 EDT, Pulaski County): 3.25-inch (baseball-sized) hail was reported, with a mixture of sizes up to 2 inches causing vehicle damage.
Leander, TX (01:53 EDT, Williamson County): 3.00-inch hail was photographed, with additional reports of 2.75-inch hail causing dents and leaf shredding.
Lost Creek, KY (17:03 EDT, Breathitt County): 2.75-inch hail was reported, with photos showing stones larger than 2 inches.
Geographic Distribution
Missouri: 31 reports, with significant concentrations in Pulaski, Howell, and Franklin counties.
Kentucky: 24 reports, including large hail in Ballard, McCracken, and Warren counties.
Indiana: 15 reports, with severe hail in Sullivan and Monroe counties.
Illinois: 14 reports, primarily in St. Louis and Madison counties.
Texas: 14 reports, with large hail in Williamson, Ellis, and Bosque counties.
Other States: Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, and Mississippi also reported hail.
Impacts
Vehicle Damage: Widespread, with reports of dents and broken windows, particularly in Pulaski County, MO, and Sullivan, IN.
Structural Damage: Windows were broken in Barlow, KY, and Sullivan, IN. Hail in Jackson County, KY (Tyner, 13:44 EDT), was estimated at 2–3 inches, potentially impacting buildings.
Vegetation Damage: Shredded leaves were reported in Owen County, IN, and other areas with large hail.
Duration: In Pulaski County, MO (Laquey, 18:00 EDT), 2.00-inch hail persisted for 20 minutes, exacerbating damage.
3. Damaging Wind Reports
Overview
A total of 245 wind damage reports were recorded across 25 states, with wind gusts ranging from 58 mph to 83 mph. These winds caused widespread tree and power line damage, structural impacts, and one fatality in Fairfax, VA. The highest measured gust was 83 mph in Madison County, IN.
Key Wind Events
Fairfax, VA (21:34 EDT, Mount Vernon): A tree fell on a vehicle, resulting in one fatality, marking the most severe human impact.
Madison County, IN (23:23 EDT, Frankton): A wind gust of 83 mph was measured, causing widespread tree and power line damage.
St. Louis City, MO (19:41–19:46 EDT): Multiple reports of large trees down, damaged apartment buildings, and a cell tower impacted, indicating a significant wind event.
Suffolk, VA (23:19 EDT, Western Branch): A tree fell on an apartment building, partially collapsing it.
Fowler, IN (22:44 EDT, Benton County): Trees fell onto three homes, one seriously damaged, with 15 power poles snapped and roof damage reported.
Geographic Distribution
Missouri: 30 reports, with significant damage in St. Louis, Howell, and Macoupin counties.
Virginia: 29 reports, including the fatal event in Fairfax and widespread tree damage in Suffolk and Pittsylvania counties.
Kentucky: 25 reports, with notable damage in Bullitt, Warren, and Madison counties.
Indiana: 22 reports, with severe impacts in Madison, Hamilton, and Kosciusko counties.
Maryland: 20 reports, with trees and power lines down in Montgomery, Baltimore, and Harford counties.
Other States: Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Minnesota, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Impacts
Fatalities and Injuries: One fatality in Fairfax, VA, and one injury in Berks County, PA (Exeter Twp, 14:55 EDT), where a tree fell on a house.
Structural Damage: Significant in St. Louis, MO (apartment building windows blown out), Suffolk, VA (apartment collapse), and Fowler, IN (homes damaged).
Tree and Power Line Damage: Widespread, with hundreds of reports of downed trees and power lines, causing outages and road blockages.
Power Pole Damage: Notable in St. Charles, MO (19:10–19:15 EDT), with 12 poles down, and Madison County, IN, with multiple poles snapped.
Wind Gust Measurements: High gusts included 82 mph in Jefferson County, KY (Louisville, 02:06 EDT), 78 mph in Lake Michigan (Chicago, 23:52 EDT), and 75 mph in Benton County, IN (Oxford, 22:40 EDT).
Regional Summary
Midwest (MO, IL, IN, OH, WI, MI)
Tornadoes: Missouri and Indiana were hotspots, with significant damage in Brown County, IN (homes leveled).
Hail: Large hail (up to 4.00 inches) in Sullivan, IN, and Pulaski, MO, caused vehicle and structural damage.
Winds: Widespread tree and power line damage, with a peak gust of 83 mph in Madison County, IN. St. Louis, MO, saw extensive urban damage.
Southeast (KY, TN, NC, VA, AL, MS)
Tornadoes: Kentucky reported five events, with damage at London-Corbin Airport. Tennessee had no confirmed tornadoes but significant wind damage.
Hail: Large hail (up to 4.00 inches) in Barlow, KY, and Warren County, KY (2.75 inches), caused significant damage.
Winds: A fatality in Fairfax, VA, and widespread tree damage in Halifax, NC, and Suffolk, VA. Peak gusts reached 82 mph in Louisville, KY.
Mid-Atlantic (MD, PA, DE, NJ, WV)
Tornadoes: One EF-0 in New Jersey (Folsom) caused minor damage.
Hail: Up to 2.50 inches in St. Louis County, MO, and 1.75 inches in Sussex County, DE.
Winds: Significant tree and power line damage in Maryland (Montgomery, Baltimore) and Pennsylvania (York, Berks). A peak gust of 74 mph was recorded at Patuxent River NAS, MD.
Mid-South (AR, TX)
Hail: Large hail (up to 3.00 inches) in Leander, TX, and 2.50 inches in Clay County, AR.
Winds: Tree and power line damage in Lafayette County, AR, and Kaufman County, TX (18-wheeler overturned).
Notable Trends and Observations
Temporal Distribution: Tornadoes were concentrated between 16:52 EDT (Folsom, NJ) and 03:47 EDT (London-Corbin, KY). Hail reports peaked between 18:00–19:30 EDT, while wind damage was widespread from 19:00–00:00 EDT.
Damage Patterns: Tornadoes caused localized but severe damage (e.g., homes leveled in Brown County, IN). Hail and wind events were more widespread, with hail causing vehicle and window damage and winds downing thousands of trees and power lines.
Urban Impacts: Cities like St. Louis, MO, and Suffolk, VA, experienced significant structural damage, highlighting the vulnerability of urban areas to severe weather.
Radar and Spotter Confirmation: Many tornado reports relied on radar (TDS) or spotter observations, indicating the importance of real-time monitoring.
Conclusion
The past 24 hours saw a significant severe weather outbreak across multiple U.S. regions, with 28 tornadoes, 162 hail reports, and 245 wind damage reports. The events caused one fatality, multiple injuries, and widespread damage to homes, vehicles, and infrastructure. The Midwest and Southeast were the most affected, with notable impacts in Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia. Ongoing assessments by the NWS will likely refine tornado classifications and damage estimates. Residents in affected areas should remain vigilant for lingering hazards, such as downed power lines and debris, as recovery efforts begin.
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