A dry line moved into eastern Kansas and initiated severe thunderstorm development the afternoon of May 4th. Several of the thunderstorms became tornadic in Miami, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. The strongest tornado reached F4 intensity in Kansas City Kansas before moving into Missouri. This tornado killed an 82 year old man and injured 30 others. Wyandotte county also had $15.5 million dollars in damage, with 69 buildings destroyed, and 390 suffering damage. Leavenworth county had 9 homes destroyed, 8 with major damage and 17 with minor damage. Damage estimates for Leavenworth county are around $4 million dollars. This was the most significant tornado outbreak in the Kansas City Metropolitan areas, since the Pleasant Hill tornado outbreak of 1977. A 46 year old woman died from injuries received with this tornado on October 10th, 2003.

Hail in JOHNSON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 19:34:00 to 04-MAY-03 19:34:00 (CST)
Location: SHAWNEE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in JOHNSON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 19:30:00 to 04-MAY-03 19:30:00 (CST)
Location: LENEXA
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in MIAMI, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 16:00:00 to 04-MAY-03 16:00:00 (CST)
Location: FONTANA
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in WYANDOTTE, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 19:35:00 to 04-MAY-03 19:35:00 (CST)
Location: KANSAS CITY
Magnitude: 0.88 
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Hail in JOHNSON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 17:10:00 to 04-MAY-03 17:10:00 (CST)
Location: OVERLAND PARK
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)

Hail in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 14:48:00 to 04-MAY-03 14:48:00 (CST)
Location: TONGANOXIE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Hail in LINN, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 20:40:00 to 04-MAY-03 20:40:00 (CST)
Location: PRESCOTT
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Tornado in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 14:55:00 to 04-MAY-03 15:12:00 (CST)
Location: LINWOOD
Tornado F-scale: F2
Property damage: 4M
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Tornado on the ground 2 miles northwest of Linwood at County Road 25 and Interstate 70. Reported by emergency management and ham radio operator. Video shows the tornado crossed the Kansas Turnpike east of the Eastern Toll Booth, and then proceeded northeast to where it lifted 2 miles south of Basehor. Total track length was 6 miles, with a width approaching 250 yards at times. Maxium intensity rating was F2, with most damage noted to homes near and just northeast of the intersection of 166th and Kansas Road.

Hail in JOHNSON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 19:51:00 to 04-MAY-03 19:51:00 (CST)
Location: OVERLAND PARK
Magnitude: 0.88 
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO

Hail in MIAMI, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 15:49:00 to 04-MAY-03 15:49:00 (CST)
Location: FONTANA
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in ATCHISON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 13:15:00 to 04-MAY-03 13:15:00 (CST)
Location: LANCASTER
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Hail in ATCHISON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 13:15:00 to 04-MAY-03 13:15:00 (CST)
Location: EFFINGHAM
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in DONIPHAN, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 13:42:00 to 04-MAY-03 13:42:00 (CST)
Location: SEVERANCE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Hail in LINN, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 15:30:00 to 04-MAY-03 15:30:00 (CST)
Location: LA CYGNE
Magnitude: 2.00 
Property damage: 5K
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Tornado in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 14:54:00 to 04-MAY-03 14:56:00 (CST)
Location: (FLV)FT LEAVENWORTH
Tornado F-scale: F1
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Tornado observed by base personnel briefly touching down in open country and crossing Missouri River into Platte county Missouri.

Hail in LINN, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 15:49:00 to 04-MAY-03 15:49:00 (CST)
Location: CENTERVILLE
Magnitude: 1.25 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Tornado in WYANDOTTE, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 15:18:00 to 04-MAY-03 15:35:00 (CST)
Location: BONNER SPGS
Tornado F-scale: F4
Property damage: 15.5M
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Tornado touched down just north-northwest of the Kansas Speedway around 318 pm CST. This tornado initially produced F0 to F1 damage, but produced F3 damage to 2 homes, just south of Parallel Parkway near I-435. The tornado grew to a width to near 500 yards in Kansas City, Kansas, where some marginal F4 damage was noted around 91st and Leavenworth Road. The tornado continued some F2 to F3 damage northeast near 84th Terrace north of Leavenworth Road. This is the location where an 82 year old man was killed in his residence. The tornado continued northeast through Wyandotte county, where another instance of marginal  F4 damage was noted near 79th Street and Cernech. Considerable structural damage was noted in this location, along with four 150 foot-tall metal power poles engineered to withstand maximum winds over 200 mph. The tornado produced F1 to F2 damage up to the Missouri River before crossing into Platte county Missouri, near Riverside and Parkville around 335 pm CST.

Hail in JOHNSON, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 19:48:00 to 04-MAY-03 19:48:00 (CST)
Location: OLATHE
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO

Tornado in MIAMI, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 16:06:00 to 04-MAY-03 16:23:00 (CST)
Location: NEW LANCASTER
Tornado F-scale: F1
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Tornado just near New Lancaster in Miami county Kansas moved northeast into Cass county Missouri. The tornado was over open country.

Hail in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 14:40:00 to 04-MAY-03 14:40:00 (CST)
Location: TONGANOXIE
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO

Hail in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS
From 04-MAY-03 14:40:00 to 04-MAY-03 14:40:00 (CST)
Location: TONGANOXIE
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER