Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 17, 1986

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 17, 1986
Start: 1986-05-17T00:03
End: 1986-05-17T19:01
Location: Texas

May 17, 1986 · 58 events in 39 counties and zones

41 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 6 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: 9
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 58

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

41 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 6 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wichita

When: May 17, 12:03 AM CST
Where: Wichita County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.900, -98.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Aransas

When: May 17, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Aransas County
Coordinates: 28.020, -97.050

Hail, Baylor

When: May 17, 2:20 AM CST
Where: Baylor County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.600, -99.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Hopkins

When: May 17, 5:30 AM CST
Where: Hopkins County
Coordinates: 33.080, -95.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 17, 6:53 AM CST
Where: Tom Green County
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

Hail, Burnet

When: May 17, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Burnet County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 30.570, -98.270

Hail, San Saba

When: May 17, 8:15 AM CST
Where: San Saba County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 31.200, -98.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 17, 8:50 AM CST
Where: Henderson County
Coordinates: 32.230, -95.850

Hail, San Saba

When: May 17, 9:00 AM CST
Where: San Saba County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 31.200, -98.970

Tornado, Bell

When: May 17, 9:45 AM CST
Where: Bell County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 31.130, -97.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Bell

When: May 17, 10:25 AM CST
Where: Bell County
Coordinates: 31.100, -97.350

Thunderstorm Wind, McLennan

When: May 17, 10:25 AM CST
Where: McLennan County
Coordinates: 31.550, -97.150

Tornado, Falls

When: May 17, 10:55 AM CST
Where: Falls County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Coordinates: 31.300, -96.900

Tornado, McLennan

When: May 17, 11:00 AM CST
Where: McLennan County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Coordinates: 31.550, -96.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Brazos

When: May 17, 12:16 PM CST
Where: Brazos County
Coordinates: 30.670, -96.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Grimes

When: May 17, 12:35 PM CST
Where: Grimes County
Coordinates: 30.580, -95.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 17, 1:45 PM CST
Where: Polk County
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Deaths: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 30.770, -95.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: May 17, 1:58 PM CST
Where: Polk County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Deaths: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 30.770, -94.820

Hail, Aransas

When: May 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Aransas County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 28.020, -97.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Nacogdoches

When: May 17, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Nacogdoches County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 31.820, -94.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: May 17, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Jasper County
Coordinates: 30.920, -94.020

Thunderstorm Wind, San Jacinto

When: May 17, 2:30 PM CST
Where: San Jacinto County
Coordinates: 30.500, -95.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Liberty

When: May 17, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Liberty County
Coordinates: 30.350, -95.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Liberty

When: May 17, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Liberty County
Coordinates: 30.070, -94.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Fort Bend

When: May 17, 2:40 PM CST
Where: Fort Bend County
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates: 29.680, -95.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Nacogdoches

When: May 17, 2:40 PM CST
Where: Nacogdoches County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 31.820, -94.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Lavaca

When: May 17, 2:45 PM CST
Where: Lavaca County
Coordinates: 29.280, -96.900

Hail, Harris

When: May 17, 2:50 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 29.730, -95.370

Hail, Jasper

When: May 17, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 30.720, -94.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Tyler

When: May 17, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Tyler County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 30.780, -94.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Karnes

When: May 17, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Karnes County
Coordinates: 28.880, -97.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: May 17, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Coordinates: 30.080, -94.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Guadalupe

When: May 17, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Guadalupe County
Coordinates: 29.570, -97.950

Hail, Harris

When: May 17, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 29.730, -95.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardin

When: May 17, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Hardin County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 30.280, -94.170

Thunderstorm Wind, De Witt

When: May 17, 3:15 PM CST
Where: De Witt County
Coordinates: 29.100, -97.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: May 17, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 30.030, -94.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Liberty

When: May 17, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Liberty County
Coordinates: 30.070, -94.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Chambers

When: May 17, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Chambers County
Coordinates: 29.700, -94.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Chambers

When: May 17, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Chambers County
Coordinates: 29.850, -94.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: May 17, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Jasper County
Coordinates: 30.430, -93.970

Hail, Webb

When: May 17, 3:39 PM CST
Where: Webb County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 27.550, -99.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Gonzales

When: May 17, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Gonzales County
Coordinates: 29.500, -97.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Karnes

When: May 17, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Karnes County
Coordinates: 28.880, -97.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Galveston

When: May 17, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Galveston County
Coordinates: 29.300, -94.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: May 17, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Coordinates: 29.900, -93.930

Tornado, Goliad

When: May 17, 4:17 PM CST
Where: Goliad County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 28.800, -97.430

Tornado, Victoria

When: May 17, 4:17 PM CST
Where: Victoria County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 28.970, -97.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Matagorda

When: May 17, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Matagorda County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 28.980, -95.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: May 17, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Coordinates: 29.900, -93.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Victoria

When: May 17, 4:38 PM CST
Where: Victoria County
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph)
Coordinates: 28.800, -96.980

Hail, Brazoria

When: May 17, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Brazoria County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 29.080, -95.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Matagorda

When: May 17, 4:48 PM CST
Where: Matagorda County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 28.720, -96.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Victoria

When: May 17, 4:53 PM CST
Where: Victoria County
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 28.800, -96.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When: May 17, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Calhoun County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 28.620, -96.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Duval

When: May 17, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Duval County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 27.770, -98.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Nueces

When: May 17, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Nueces County
Coordinates: 27.780, -97.420

Tornado, Runnels

When: May 17, 7:01 PM CST
Where: Runnels County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Coordinates: 31.750, -99.950

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Thunderstorm Wind, Tyler	1986-05-17				Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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

Every storm in Texas in 1986 Every state in 1986 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1986 Warnings in Texas, May 1986

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: 10145378, 10145379, 10145380, 10145381, 10145382, 10145383, 10145384, 10145385, 10145386, 10145387, 10145388, 10145389, 10145390, 10145391, 10145392, 10145393, 10145394, 10145395, 10145396, 10145397, 10145398, 10145399, 10145400, 10145401, 10145402, 10145403, 10145404, 10145405, 10145406, 10145407, 10145408, 10145409, 10145410, 10145411, 10145412, 10145413, 10145414, 10145415, 10145416, 10145417, and more.