Texas, 1981

Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 8, 1981

May 8, 1981 · NWS ATA · 36 events in 19 counties and zones

23 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 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
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
36

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

23 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Palo Pinto

When
May 8, 1:18 AM CST
Where
Palo Pinto County
Coordinates
32.800, -98.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Fannin

When
May 8, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Fannin County
Coordinates
33.780, -96.930

Hail, Lamar

When
May 8, 11:30 AM CST
Where
Lamar County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.650, -95.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Lamar

When
May 8, 11:45 AM CST
Where
Lamar County
Coordinates
33.650, -95.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Delta

When
May 8, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Delta County
Coordinates
33.500, -95.670

Hail, Red River

When
May 8, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Red River County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
33.780, -95.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Red River

When
May 8, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Red River County
Coordinates
33.780, -95.030

Hail, Bowie

When
May 8, 1:20 PM CST
Where
Bowie County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
33.430, -94.680

Hail, Young

When
May 8, 3:05 PM CST
Where
Young County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.070, -98.630

Hail, Clay

When
May 8, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Clay County
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
33.630, -98.020

Hail, Palo Pinto

When
May 8, 4:35 PM CST
Where
Palo Pinto County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.950, -98.280

Hail, Young

When
May 8, 4:38 PM CST
Where
Young County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.100, -98.570

Hail, Young

When
May 8, 4:38 PM CST
Where
Young County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.100, -98.550

Hail, Jack

When
May 8, 5:15 PM CST
Where
Jack County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.230, -98.200

Hail, Parker

When
May 8, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Parker County
Measured
3 in hail
Coordinates
32.980, -97.850

Tornado, Parker

When
May 8, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Parker County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
30 yd
Coordinates
32.930, -98.000

Tornado, Parker

When
May 8, 6:05 PM CST
Where
Parker County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
30 yd
Coordinates
32.920, -97.980

Hail, Palo Pinto

When
May 8, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Palo Pinto County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.930, -98.250

Hail, Motley

When
May 8, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Motley County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.100, -100.920

Hail, Palo Pinto

When
May 8, 6:35 PM CST
Where
Palo Pinto County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.800, -98.100

Hail, Tarrant

When
May 8, 7:20 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.680, -97.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When
May 8, 7:49 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Measured
83 kt (96 mph)
Coordinates
32.820, -97.350

Hail, Tarrant

When
May 8, 7:55 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.670, -97.100

Hail, Tarrant

When
May 8, 7:57 PM CST
Where
Tarrant County
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
32.770, -97.450

Hail, Dallas

When
May 8, 8:15 PM CST
Where
Dallas County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.750, -96.980

Tornado, Dallas

When
May 8, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Dallas County
Rating
F2
Path length
4.9 mi
Path width
73 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.570, -96.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Sherman

When
May 8, 8:26 PM CST
Where
Sherman County
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
36.420, -102.070

Hail, Ellis

When
May 8, 8:35 PM CST
Where
Ellis County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.400, -96.850

Hail, Young

When
May 8, 8:35 PM CST
Where
Young County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.100, -98.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Lipscomb

When
May 8, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Lipscomb County
Coordinates
36.450, -100.130

Hail, Clay

When
May 8, 9:55 PM CST
Where
Clay County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.820, -98.200

Hail, Wise

When
May 8, 10:15 PM CST
Where
Wise County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.230, -97.600

Hail, Wise

When
May 8, 10:24 PM CST
Where
Wise County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.080, -97.580

Tornado, Hemphill

When
May 8, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Hemphill County
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
35.920, -100.400

Hail, Navarro

When
May 8, 10:55 PM CST
Where
Navarro County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.070, -96.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Navarro

When
May 8, 10:55 PM CST
Where
Navarro County
Coordinates
32.070, -96.420

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 1981Every state in 1981This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1981

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: 10129208, 10129209, 10129210, 10129211, 10129212, 10129213, 10129214, 10129215, 10129216, 10129217, 10129218, 10130071, 10130072, 10130073, 10130074, 10130075, 10130076, 10130077, 10130078, 10130290, 10130291, 10130292, 10130293, 10130294, 10130295, 10130296, 10130297, 10130298, 10130299, 10130300, 10130301, 10130302, 10130303, 10130304, 10130305, 10130306.