Texas, 1978

Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 11, 1978

May 11, 1978 · NWS T · 59 events in 23 counties and zones

32 thunderstorm wind, 17 tornado, 10 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$630,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
59

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

32 thunderstorm wind, 17 tornado, 10 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Uvalde

When
May 11, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Uvalde County
Coordinates
29.220, -99.880

Hail, Crockett

When
May 11, 2:10 PM CST
Where
Crockett County
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
30.350, -101.200

Hail, Clay

When
May 11, 4:15 PM CST
Where
Clay County
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
34.070, -98.180

Hail, Wichita

When
May 11, 4:20 PM CST
Where
Wichita County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.900, -98.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
May 11, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Johnson County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
32.400, -97.330

Hail, Tarrant

When
May 11, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.570, -97.130

Hail, Dallas

When
May 11, 4:50 PM CST
Where
Dallas County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.730, -97.000

Tornado, Tarrant

When
May 11, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Rating
F0
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
32.730, -97.120

Tornado, Ellis

When
May 11, 5:15 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.400, -96.850

Hail, Dallas

When
May 11, 5:15 PM CST
Where
Dallas County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.750, -96.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Hays

When
May 11, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Hays County
Coordinates
30.080, -98.250

Tornado, Hill

When
May 11, 5:26 PM CST
Where
Hill County
Path length
7.2 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.000, -97.130

Tornado, Ellis

When
May 11, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
32.480, -96.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Coordinates
32.670, -95.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:25 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Coordinates
32.300, -95.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 6:25 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Measured
85 kt (98 mph)
Coordinates
32.550, -95.870

Tornado, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.180, -95.830

Tornado, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.550, -95.830

Tornado, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.520, -95.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Wood

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Wood County
Coordinates
32.750, -95.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Bowie County
Coordinates
33.350, -94.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
32.200, -95.850

Tornado, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 6:31 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.570, -96.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:35 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Coordinates
32.280, -95.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Coordinates
32.300, -95.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
May 11, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Henderson County
Coordinates
32.300, -95.470

Tornado, Smith

When
May 11, 6:50 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.330, -95.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Ellis

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Coordinates
32.180, -96.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Ellis

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Coordinates
32.430, -96.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Smith

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Measured
85 kt (98 mph)
Coordinates
32.330, -95.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Kaufman

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Kaufman County
Coordinates
32.580, -96.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Ellis

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Coordinates
32.530, -96.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Smith

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Coordinates
32.520, -95.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Ellis

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Coordinates
32.470, -96.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Zandt

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Van Zandt County
Coordinates
32.450, -95.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Ellis

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Coordinates
32.320, -97.020

Tornado, Smith

When
May 11, 7:10 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Rating
F0
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.300, -95.080

Hail, Smith

When
May 11, 7:10 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.430, -95.350

Tornado, Smith

When
May 11, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Rating
F0
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.250, -95.200

Hail, Morris

When
May 11, 7:24 PM CST
Where
Morris County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
33.030, -94.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Morris

When
May 11, 7:24 PM CST
Where
Morris County
Coordinates
33.030, -94.730

Tornado, Gregg

When
May 11, 7:35 PM CST
Where
Gregg County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.370, -94.870

Tornado, Gregg

When
May 11, 7:39 PM CST
Where
Gregg County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
32.370, -94.720

Tornado, Gregg

When
May 11, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Gregg County
Rating
F1
Path length
12.1 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
32.450, -94.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Gregg

When
May 11, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Gregg County
Measured
85 kt (98 mph)
Coordinates
32.380, -94.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Gregg

When
May 11, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Gregg County
Coordinates
32.480, -94.730

Tornado, Anderson

When
May 11, 7:51 PM CST
Where
Anderson County
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
31.670, -95.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Rusk

When
May 11, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Rusk County
Coordinates
32.150, -94.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Upshur

When
May 11, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Upshur County
Coordinates
32.630, -95.000

Hail, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.480, -94.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Coordinates
32.520, -94.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Coordinates
32.480, -94.020

Tornado, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:11 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.530, -94.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:15 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Coordinates
32.520, -94.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Panola

When
May 11, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Panola County
Coordinates
32.250, -94.450

Hail, Harrison

When
May 11, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Harrison County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.570, -94.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Panola

When
May 11, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Panola County
Coordinates
32.300, -94.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Smith

When
May 11, 10:25 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Coordinates
32.500, -95.300

Tornado, Smith

When
May 11, 10:42 PM CST
Where
Smith County
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.130, -95.330

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 1978Every state in 1978This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1978

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10127609, 10127610, 10127611, 10127612, 10127613, 10127614, 10127615, 10127616, 10127617, 10127618, 10127619, 10127620, 10127621, 10127622, 10127623, 10127624, 10127625, 10127626, 10127627, 10127628, 10127629, 10127630, 10127631, 10127632, 10127633, 10127634, 10127635, 10127636, 10127637, 10127638, 10127639, 10127640, 10127641, 10127642, 10127643, 10127644, 10127645, 10127646, 10127647, 10127648, and more.