Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, May 28, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, May 28, 1997
Start: 1997-05-28T14:55
End: 1997-05-28T16:08
Location: New Mexico

May 28, 1997 · NWS MAF · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 hail, 1 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $27 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:53 UTC.

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Event by event

1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lea

When: May 28, 2:55 PM MST to 3:20 PM MST
Where: Lea County, 2 mi S of Hobbs
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Property damage: $27 million
Coordinates: 32.670, -103.130

This storm moving to the southeast became an HP Supercell as it passed over the city of Hobbs. By the time the storm arrived over the southern parts of town, hail up to tennis ball size was falling along with strong winds. Most of the trees over the southern 1/3 of town were stripped of their leaves, and numerous houses and cars suffered damage. Streets had hail stacked up over one foot deep in some areas. This storm moved to the southeast into Texas and continued to produce severe weather in Andrews, Winkler, and Ward Counties.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lea

When: May 28, 4:08 PM MST
Where: Lea County, 5 mi NNE of Eunice
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 32.500, -103.120

The storm that hit Hobbs continued to the southeast with other cells developing on its western flank. One of these cells had downbursting winds that knocked down 3 utility poles along State Highway 18 north of Eunice. The poles were blown from east to west.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Mexico in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, May 1997

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: 5611549, 5611550.