Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, May 26 to 27, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, May 26 to 27, 1998
Start: 1998-05-26T22:00
End: 1998-05-27T04:48
Location: Texas

May 26 to 27, 1998 · NWS FWD · 26 events in 7 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms developed along a dryline across west Texas during the afternoon of the 26th. These storms evolved into a line as they moved east into north Texas during the late evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: $400,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

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 FWD wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms developed along a dryline across west Texas during the afternoon of the 26th. These storms evolved into a line as they moved east into north Texas during the late evening hours. These storms produced damaging straight line winds and large hail as they moved across the region during the early morning hours of the 27th. Hardest hit was the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area, where winds in excess of 58 mph damaged structures and downed trees and powerlines. In addition, several instances of urban flash flooding were reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 hail, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Eastland

When: May 26, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Eastland County, Ranger
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 32.470, -98.680

Thunderstorm winds destroyed an historic oil well.

Hail, Eastland

When: May 26, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Eastland County, Gorman
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 32.220, -98.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Eastland

When: May 26, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Eastland County, Gorman
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates: 32.220, -98.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Comanche

When: May 26, 10:25 PM CST
Where: Comanche County, De Leon
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.120, -98.550

Hail, Eastland

When: May 26, 11:12 PM CST
Where: Eastland County, Desdemona
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 32.270, -98.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Eastland

When: May 26, 11:12 PM CST
Where: Eastland County, Desdemona
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.270, -98.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Erath

When: May 26, 11:25 PM CST
Where: Erath County, 1 mi S of Stephenville
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates: 32.220, -98.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Erath

When: May 26, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Erath County, 10 mi N of Stephenville
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.380, -98.200

Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a dairy and blew out windows.

Flash Flood, Parker

When: May 27, 12:40 AM CST
Where: Parker County, Weatherford
Coordinates: 32.778, -97.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Tarrant

When: May 27, 12:46 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Arlington
Property damage: $35,000
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning started a fire at a residence.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 12:46 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Arlington
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 32.730, -97.120

Thunderstorm winds damaged 18 apartment units.

Thunderstorm Wind, Parker

When: May 27, 12:50 AM CST
Where: Parker County, 3 mi NE of Aledo
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.730, -97.570

Thunderstorm winds reported at the intersection of IH 20 and IH 30.

Thunderstorm Wind, Comanche

When: May 27, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Comanche County, De Leon
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 32.120, -98.550

Thunderstorm winds blew the roofs off a storage shed and a barn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:03 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Blue Mound
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.880, -97.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:08 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Keller
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 32.930, -97.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:10 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Ft Worth
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 32.750, -97.350

Thunderstorm wind gust reported at the NWS Forecast Office on the north side of Ft Worth.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:12 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Watauga
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 32.850, -97.270

Thunderstorm winds blew the roof from a strip shopping center and an industrial building. Thunderstorm winds also downed trees and powerlines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:20 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Grapevine
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 32.930, -97.080

Thunderstorm winds blew the roof from a convenience store.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: May 27, 1:25 AM CST
Where: Dallas County, Richardson
Coordinates: 32.950, -96.720

Thunderstorm winds downed powerlines. No dollar estimate of damage was provided.

Thunderstorm Wind, Collin

When: May 27, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Collin County, Plano
Coordinates: 33.020, -96.720

Thunderstorm winds downed large tree limbs. No dollar estimate of damage was provided.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: May 27, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Dallas County, Garland
Coordinates: 32.920, -96.630

Thunderstorm winds downed large tree limbs. No dollar estimate of damage was provided.

Flash Flood, Tarrant

When: May 27, 1:45 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, North Richland Hills
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding was reported at the intersection of north Loop IH 20 and SH 183.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: May 27, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Dallas County, Irving
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 32.820, -96.920

Thunderstorm winds damaged a 62 unit apartment complex.

Flash Flood, Dallas

When: May 27, 2:25 AM CST
Where: Dallas County, Dallas
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous intersections were flooded.

Lightning, Dallas

When: May 27, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Dallas County, Richardson
Property damage: $150,000
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a house and started a fire.

Flash Flood, Tarrant

When: May 27, 4:48 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County, Ft Worth
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding was reported along the Jacksboro Highway in northwest Ft Worth.

What these are

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.
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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, May 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: 5644327, 5644328, 5644329, 5644330, 5644331, 5644332, 5644333, 5644334, 5644335, 5644336, 5644434, 5644435, 5644436, 5644437, 5644438, 5644439, 5644440, 5644441, 5644442, 5644443, 5644444, 5644445, 5644446, 5644447, 5644448, 5644449.