Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 15, 1989

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 15, 1989
Start: 1989-05-15T01:03
End: 1989-05-15T23:20
Location: Texas

May 15, 1989 · NWS FTW · 47 events in 30 counties and zones

36 hail, 9 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 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: 5
Property damage: $325,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 47

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

36 hail, 9 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Gillespie

When: May 15, 1:03 AM CST
Where: Gillespie County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 30.280, -98.870

Hail, Lavaca

When: May 15, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Lavaca County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 29.450, -96.950

Hail, Sterling

When: May 15, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Sterling County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.930, -100.880

Tornado, Coke

When: May 15, 2:25 PM CST
Where: Coke County
Rating: F1
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Coordinates: 31.780, -100.600

Hail, Hale

When: May 15, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Hale County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.000, -101.980

Hail, Rusk

When: May 15, 2:40 PM CST
Where: Rusk County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 32.080, -94.870

Hail, Hale

When: May 15, 2:50 PM CST
Where: Hale County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Injuries: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 34.070, -101.830

Hail, Hale

When: May 15, 2:56 PM CST
Where: Hale County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.200, -101.700

Hail, Van Zandt

When: May 15, 3:01 PM CST
Where: Van Zandt County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 32.670, -95.720

Hail, Hale

When: May 15, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Hale County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.200, -101.700

Hail, Van Zandt

When: May 15, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Van Zandt County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.670, -95.720

Tornado, Floyd

When: May 15, 3:35 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.5 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Coordinates: 34.050, -101.570

Hail, Dickens

When: May 15, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Dickens County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.480, -100.850

Tornado, King

When: May 15, 4:05 PM CST
Where: King County
Rating: F2
Path length: 7 mi
Path width: 90 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.670, -100.380

Hail, Floyd

When: May 15, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.200, -101.320

Hail, Coke

When: May 15, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Coke County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.750, -100.480

Hail, Motley

When: May 15, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Motley County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.220, -100.980

Hail, Anderson

When: May 15, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Anderson County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.050, -95.500

Hail, Runnels

When: May 15, 5:08 PM CST
Where: Runnels County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.820, -99.980

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 15, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

Hail, Knox

When: May 15, 5:37 PM CST
Where: Knox County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.420, -99.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Haskell

When: May 15, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Haskell County
Coordinates: 33.380, -99.850

Hail, Knox

When: May 15, 5:43 PM CST
Where: Knox County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.580, -99.800

Hail, Gray

When: May 15, 5:44 PM CST
Where: Gray County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.430, -100.820

Hail, Knox

When: May 15, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Knox County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.750, -99.800

Hail, Knox

When: May 15, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Knox County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.450, -99.620

Hail, Roberts

When: May 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Roberts County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.700, -100.630

Hail, Cottle

When: May 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Cottle County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.020, -100.420

Hail, Wheeler

When: May 15, 6:02 PM CST
Where: Wheeler County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.520, -100.430

Tornado, Deaf Smith

When: May 15, 6:28 PM CST
Where: Deaf Smith County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Coordinates: 35.000, -102.620

Hail, Swisher

When: May 15, 6:28 PM CST
Where: Swisher County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.730, -101.850

Tornado, Concho

When: May 15, 6:32 PM CST
Where: Concho County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 31.380, -100.050

Tornado, Oldham

When: May 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Oldham County
Rating: F1
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 210 yd
Coordinates: 35.200, -102.430

Hail, Hemphill

When: May 15, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Hemphill County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.000, -100.230

Hail, Sherman

When: May 15, 6:46 PM CST
Where: Sherman County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.420, -102.070

Hail, Deaf Smith

When: May 15, 6:51 PM CST
Where: Deaf Smith County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.170, -102.430

Hail, Runnels

When: May 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Runnels County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 31.630, -99.880

Hail, Baylor

When: May 15, 7:03 PM CST
Where: Baylor County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.600, -99.350

Hail, Concho

When: May 15, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Concho County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.300, -99.850

Tornado, Floyd

When: May 15, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Rating: F1
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 110 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.850, -101.270

Tornado, Oldham

When: May 15, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Oldham County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 90 yd
Coordinates: 35.220, -102.220

Hail, Baylor

When: May 15, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Baylor County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.500, -99.030

Hail, Motley

When: May 15, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Motley County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.120, -100.820

Tornado, Tom Green

When: May 15, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County
Rating: F1
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 31.350, -100.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: May 15, 10:38 PM CST
Where: Bowie County
Coordinates: 33.500, -94.620

Hail, Clay

When: May 15, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Clay County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.820, -98.200

Hail, Montague

When: May 15, 11:20 PM CST
Where: Montague County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.570, -97.880

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1989 Every state in 1989 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1989 Warnings in Texas, May 1989

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: 10140852, 10140853, 10140854, 10140855, 10140856, 10140857, 10140858, 10140859, 10140860, 10140861, 10140862, 10140863, 10140864, 10140865, 10140866, 10140867, 10140868, 10140869, 10140870, 10140871, 10140872, 10137262, 10137263, 10137264, 10137265, 10137266, 10137267, 10137268, 10137269, 10137270, 10137271, 10137272, 10137487, 10137488, 10137489, 10137490, 10137491, 10137492, 10137493, 10137494, and more.