Texas, 1998

Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, February 21, 1998

February 21, 1998 · NWS EWX · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

General 2 to 3 inch rainfall in less than 2 hours produced widespread flash flooding over roads and low water crossings over several counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$17,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 EWX wrote it up.

General 2 to 3 inch rainfall in less than 2 hours produced widespread flash flooding over roads and low water crossings over several counties.

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Frio

When
February 21, 3:15 PM CST to 3:25 PM CST
Where
Frio County, Moore
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
29.050, -99.020

Flash Flood, Frio

When
February 21, 4:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Frio County, Countywide
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
28.868, -99.108 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Medina

When
February 21, 4:30 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Medina County, Lacoste
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
29.356, -99.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Atascosa

When
February 21, 4:30 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Atascosa County, Countywide
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
28.894, -98.527 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bexar

When
February 21, 5:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Bexar County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
29.449, -98.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Kendall

When
February 21, 6:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Kendall County, Countywide
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
29.945, -98.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

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, February 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: 5631619, 5631620, 5631621, 5631622, 5631623, 5631624.