Texas, 1998

Flash Flood and Hail in Texas, May 26, 1998

May 26, 1998 · NWS MAF · 8 events in 3 counties and zones

6 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Andrews

When
May 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Andrews County, 18 mi W of Andrews
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.320, -102.850

This storm developed in western Andrews County along an outflow boundary from the previous night's convection.

Hail, Andrews

When
May 26, 3:28 PM CST
Where
Andrews County, 5 mi NW of Andrews
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.370, -102.620

Hail, Gaines

When
May 26, 3:28 PM CST
Where
Gaines County, 23 mi W of Seminole
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.720, -103.050

The storm in western Andrews County expanded northward into western Gaines County where golfball size hail fell on U.S. 180.

Hail, Andrews

When
May 26, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Andrews County, Andrews
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.320, -102.550

Flash Flood, Andrews

When
May 26, 4:30 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Andrews County, West Portion
Coordinates
32.305, -102.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

This nearly stationary storm dropped large amounts of rain over the western sections of Andrews County where State Highway 115, FM 181, and FM 2371 flooded. Several cars became stranded, and waters were still standing on FM 181 the following morning.

Thunderstorm Wind, Andrews

When
May 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Andrews County, 16 mi SW of Andrews
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
32.150, -102.750

The storm that first dropped golfball size hail two hours earlier had slowly sagged southward as it became better organized into an impressive HP Supercell. A mid-level circulation developed and a rain-filled rear-flank downdraft (RFD) surged southward across County Road 7000. Twelve utility poles were downed in this area in two groups: a group of 3 and a group of 9 separated by one mile.A survey of the area determined that the damage occurred about 2-3 miles west of where the circulation passed over the road (as determined through radar and GPS comparisons). No damage was seen in the area of the circulation, therefore it was determined that this circulation never reached the ground. The damage path was slightly divergent with winds from a 340 to 325 degree direction.

Hail, Ector

When
May 26, 6:05 PM CST
Where
Ector County, North Cowden
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.000, -102.520

The Andrews County storm continued to sag southward into northern Ector County.

Hail, Ector

When
May 26, 6:35 PM CST
Where
Ector County, 3 mi W of Gardendale
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
32.000, -102.470

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.
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, 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: 5652825, 5652826, 5652827, 5652828, 5652829, 5652925, 5652926, 5652927.