May 7, 1840: The second deadliest single tornado in United States history occurred in Natchez, Mississippi. This tornado started in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, and moved up the Mississippi, killing 317 people.

May 7, 1896: A strong, estimated F3 tornado moved northeast from 12 miles SSW of Clark, to 3 miles west of Watertown, to beyond Lake Kampeska. It was estimated to be on the ground for a distance of 30 miles. Near the start of the path, a woman was killed and 10 people were injured in one home. Parts of a home were found up to two miles away. Barns were leveled near Watertown.

1774: Sir Francis Beaufort, inventor of the Beaufort Scale, was born.

1840: At Natchez, MS at least 48 died on land and 269 on the river, most of those in sinking of flatboats, when a tornado struck. A piece of one steamboat was carried 30 miles.

1927: A family of tornadoes up to two miles wide and F5 in strength tore a 115 mile long path across south central Kansas. The tornadoes were easily visible so there were only 10 deaths, but there were still hundreds of injuries, likely from debris being flung from the tornadoes. More than 100 farms were hit, some swept clean away.

2003: On I-24, state troopers blocked both sides of traffic to allow a tornado to pass near Paducah.