Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Brownsville, TX

May 20, 2026Cameron County, Kenedy County, Willacy County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 6:27 AM CDT for Cameron County, Kenedy County, Willacy County, Texas. It was in force for 48 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 20, 2026, 6:27 AM CDT (11:27 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2026, 7:15 AM CDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Brownsville, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Cameron County, TX, Kenedy County, TX, Willacy County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:30 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 452 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 3290 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -115 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1450 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -24 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 20, 1:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 1:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 5:20 AM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
520 AM CDT Wed May 20 2026

TXZ249>252-353-201100-
Brooks TX-Jim Hogg TX-Northern Hidalgo TX-Starr TX-Inland Kenedy TX-
520 AM CDT Wed May 20 2026

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN KENEDY...
SOUTHEASTERN JIM HOGG...NORTH CENTRAL HIDALGO...NORTHEASTERN STARR
AND BROOKS COUNTIES THROUGH 600 AM CDT...

At 520 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms over Rachal, moving southeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Agua Nueva, Encino, Rachal, Puerto Rico, La Reforma, El Coyote Ranch
Airport, San Isidro, San Rafael Ranch Airport, Santa Elena, and
Delmita.

This includes US Highway 281 between mile markers 714 and 752.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 2700 9869 2720 9815 2674 9782 2653 9835
TIME...MOT...LOC 1020Z 322DEG 36KT 2687 9815

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Caceres

Special weather statement, May 20, 6:04 AM CDT, 23 minutes before

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The office that day

Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 5:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BRO	Brooks, Kenedy	41 min
May 20, 5:07 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	BRO		53 min
May 20, 5:20 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BRO	Brooks	40 min
May 20, 5:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BRO	Kenedy	47 min
May 20, 5:51 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	BRO		84 min
May 20, 6:04 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BRO	Brooks	41 min
May 20, 6:44 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BRO	Willacy	46 min
May 20, 6:48 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	BRO		57 min
May 20, 7:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BRO	Cameron	51 min
May 20, 7:15 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BRO	Cameron	45 min
May 20, 7:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BRO	Cameron, Willacy	38 min
May 20, 7:43 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	BRO		47 min
May 20, 7:54 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BRO	Cameron, Willacy	25 min
May 20, 8:22 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BRO	Cameron	38 min
May 20, 8:27 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	BRO		33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.