Texas, 1998

Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, December 4 to 11, 1998

December 4 to 11, 1998 · NWS FWD · 24 events in 12 counties and zones

19 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
$45,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
24

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 Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:39 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hunt

When
December 4, 12:06 AM CST to 2:12 AM CST
Where
Hunt County, Greenville
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets and intersections were flooded, with some streets closed, at 0212 CST. Several motorists were stranded by high water.

Flash Flood, Dallas

When
December 4, 12:15 AM CST
Where
Dallas County, Garland
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A woman was swept away and drowned as she fled her stalled car, in Duck Creek, to move to higher ground.

Flash Flood, Dallas

When
December 4, 12:30 AM CST
Where
Dallas County, Garland
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A high water rescue had to be performed for two persons trapped in a creek.

Flash Flood, Collin

When
December 4, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Collin County, 1 mi S of Nevada
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A car was submerged by high water on County Road 590 south of Nevada.

Flash Flood, Collin

When
December 4, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Collin County, Central Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 380 was closed due to high water.

Flash Flood, Rockwall

When
December 4, 1:30 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where
Rockwall County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were flooded.

Flash Flood, Delta

When
December 4, 1:36 AM CST
Where
Delta County, Cooper
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

City streets in Cooper, and in the western part of Delta County, were flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Zandt

When
December 4, 4:40 AM CST
Where
Van Zandt County, 2 mi N of Phalba
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.450, -95.980

A mobile home was unroofed and an 18 wheeler was blown over by high thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
December 4, 5:20 AM CST
Where
Johnson County, Venus
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.430, -97.120

Strong thunderstorm winds damaged 3 mobile homes, 2 barns, and a recreational vehicle.

Flash Flood, Van Zandt

When
December 4, 8:22 AM CST
Where
Van Zandt County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.564, -95.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were flooded.

Flash Flood, Kaufman

When
December 4, 8:45 AM CST
Where
Kaufman County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were flooded.

Flash Flood, Hunt

When
December 4, 1:30 PM CST to 1:50 PM CST
Where
Hunt County, 6 mi S of Greenville
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Motorists were stranded by high water on Highway 34. A car and two pickup trucks were swept off Farm Market 1903 near Interstate 30.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wise

When
December 6, 10:40 AM CST
Where
Wise County, Newark
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.000, -97.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Denton

When
December 6, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Denton County, Krum
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.270, -97.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Wise

When
December 7, 11:20 AM CST
Where
Wise County, 1 mi E of Decatur
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.230, -97.580

Flash Flood, Ellis

When
December 7, 3:20 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Waxahachie
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous streets were flooded.

Flash Flood, Ellis

When
December 7, 3:20 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Red Oak
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous streets were flooded.

Flash Flood, Ellis

When
December 7, 3:31 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Parts of Interstate 35 were flooded.

Flash Flood, Ellis

When
December 10, 1:06 PM CST to 9:25 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five county roads were closed between Maypearl and Midlothian.

Flash Flood, Hill

When
December 10, 1:06 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
Where
Hill County, 2 mi SW of Covington
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.991, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm rains caused county roads to be closed due to high water.

Flash Flood, Johnson

When
December 10, 3:10 PM CST
Where
Johnson County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four county roads were closed due to high water from thunderstorm rains.

Flash Flood, Ellis

When
December 10, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Additional county roads were flooded and closed from thunderstorm rains.

Flash Flood, Hunt

When
December 10, 7:14 PM CST to December 11, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Hunt County, Quinlan
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous county roads were closed, west of Quinlan, due to heavy rains.

Flash Flood, Johnson

When
December 10, 9:28 PM CST
Where
Johnson County, Mansfield
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads near Mansfield were closed due to high water from thunderstorm rains.

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.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Flash Flood, Dallas1998-12-04FemaleIn WaterDirect

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
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

More

Every storm in Texas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 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: 5673554, 5673552, 5673553, 5673643, 5673644, 5673641, 5673556, 5673639, 5673638, 5673640, 5673642, 5673555, 5673645, 5673646, 5673647, 5673648, 5673649, 5673650, 5673651, 5673653, 5673654, 5673652, 5673656, 5673655.