Hail, Parmer
- When
- April 26, 12:45 PM CST
- Where
- Parmer County, 3 mi E of Friona
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.630, -102.680
Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 26, 1998
A round of severe thunderstorms affected the South Plains on the 26th. The most significant storm was the one that hit Hale Center (see above) and caused a lightning fatality and tornado damage.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $130,000
- Crop damage
- $125,000
- Events
- 17
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS LUB wrote it up.
A round of severe thunderstorms affected the South Plains on the 26th. The most significant storm was the one that hit Hale Center (see above) and caused a lightning fatality and tornado damage. Elsewhere, large hail was reported near Friona, Cone, Aspermont, and Jayton.
The radar
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.
Event by event
12 hail, 3 tornado, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado, Castro
- When
- April 26, 1:20 PM CST
- Where
- Castro County, 5 mi E of Hart
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 10 yd
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 34.380, -102.030
Lightning, Hale
- When
- April 26, 1:20 PM CST
- Where
- Hale County, 5 mi S of Hale Center
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 34.071, -101.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning struck and killed a 37 year-old male farmer who was out in an open area next to his irrigation/sprinkler system.
Hail, Parmer
- When
- April 26, 1:23 PM CST
- Where
- Parmer County, 5 mi W of Friona
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 34.630, -102.820
Tornado, Hale
- When
- April 26, 1:25 PM CST to 1:27 PM CST
- Where
- Hale County, 2 mi N of Hale Center
- Rating
- F2
- Path length
- 0.3 mi
- Path width
- 30 yd
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- $25,000
- Coordinates
- 34.100, -101.830
A short-lived but strong (F2) tornado occurred just north of Hale Center. Two people narrowly escaped injury when their home was destroyed (they had sought shelter in a small, interior closet in this ranch-style house). The tornado also heavily damaged a vacant house, barn, hangar, and center-pivot irrigation system. Several large trees were destroyed/uprooted. Damage was investigated by NWS officials just a few hours after it occurred.
Thunderstorm Wind, Parmer
- When
- April 26, 1:32 PM CST
- Where
- Parmer County, 1 mi W of Friona
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Coordinates
- 34.630, -102.750
Wind damage to roofs and trees reported by Friona Police Dept.
Hail, Swisher
- When
- April 26, 2:09 PM CST
- Where
- Swisher County, 8 mi W of Tulia
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.530, -101.900
Hail, Lubbock
- When
- April 26, 2:15 PM CST
- Where
- Lubbock County, 4 mi E of Heckville
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.750, -101.600
Hail, Swisher
- When
- April 26, 2:20 PM CST
- Where
- Swisher County, 6 mi W of Tulia
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.530, -101.870
Hail, Crosby
- When
- April 26, 2:28 PM CST
- Where
- Crosby County, 3 mi W of Cone
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.780, -101.430
Hail, Kent
- When
- April 26, 2:34 PM CST
- Where
- Kent County, 1 mi W of Jayton
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.250, -100.600
Tornado, Crosby
- When
- April 26, 2:40 PM CST
- Where
- Crosby County, 5 mi N of Ralls
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 10 yd
- Coordinates
- 33.750, -101.380
A brief weak tornado was reported by the Crosby County Sheriff's Office.
Hail, Stonewall
- When
- April 26, 3:21 PM CST
- Where
- Stonewall County, 14 mi N of Aspermont
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.350, -100.230
Hail, Stonewall
- When
- April 26, 3:22 PM CST
- Where
- Stonewall County, 7 mi N of Aspermont
- Measured
- 2.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.250, -100.230
Hail, Bailey
- When
- April 26, 4:25 PM CST
- Where
- Bailey County, 1 mi N of Muleshoe
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 34.230, -102.730
Hail, Bailey
- When
- April 26, 4:40 PM CST
- Where
- Bailey County, Muleshoe
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 34.220, -102.730
Hail, Lubbock
- When
- April 26, 6:58 PM CST
- Where
- Lubbock County, 13 mi SW of Lubbock
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 33.450, -102.020
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Hale | 1998-04-26 | 37 | Male | Heavy Equipment/Construction | 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.
- 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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- 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
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, April 26, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, April 26, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 26, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 26, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 26, 1998
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, April 26, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, April 26, 1998
- Hail in Missouri, April 26, 1998
- Flood in California, April 26 to 27, 1998
- Hail in Missouri, April 26, 1998
- Hail in Missouri, April 26, 1998
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, April 26, 1998
More
Every storm in Texas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1998Warnings in Texas, April 1998
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: 5643699, 5643308, 5643311, 5643309, 5643310, 5643312, 5643313, 5643700, 5643314, 5643315, 5643316, 5643693, 5643694, 5643695, 5643696, 5643697, 5643698.