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

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 26 to 27, 1998
Start: 1998-05-26T16:36
End: 1998-05-27T00:00
Location: Texas

May 26 to 27, 1998 · NWS SJT · 49 events in 12 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $1.6 million
Crop damage: $500,000
Events: 49

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 SJT wrote it up.

A supercell developed just north of San Angelo near Grape Creek and drifted very slowly eastward towards Veribest in northeast Tom Green County. This supercell spawned at least 2 tornadoes, including one that destroyed two mobile homes and damaged 15 homes near Veribest. Two people were injured in one of the mobile homes. Numerous farm buildings and other farm machinery were also heavily damaged. Hail of the size of baseballs and torrential rainfall accompanied this storm, causing extensive flooding across the Grape Creek and Quail Valley areas. Later in the evening, a line of severe storms swept through much of the Concho Valley and Heartland, bringing damaging winds and up to golf ball size hail.

The radar

The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:35 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 6 flash flood, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 4:36 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, Water Vly
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 31.670, -100.730

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 4:48 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 9 mi NW of San Angelo
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 31.570, -100.530

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 4:49 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 9 mi NW of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.570, -100.530

Hail, Coke

When: May 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Coke County, 9 mi S of Robert Lee
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.770, -100.480

Baseball size hail

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, Carlsbad
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.600, -100.630

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 5:14 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi NW of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.500, -100.470

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 11 mi NW of San Angelo
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.580, -100.570

Baseball size hail broke 2 windows

Tornado, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:00 PM CST to 6:02 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 5 mi N of San Angelo
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Coordinates: 31.530, -100.430

Brief tornado touchdown

Flash Flood, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 7 mi N of San Angelo
Property damage: $150,000
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extensive flooding in the Quail Valley subdivision, with water flowing into houses and up to 8 feet of water covering some roadways

Flash Flood, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:00 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 9 mi NW of San Angelo
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 1 foot of water flowing through several homes

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:04 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 9 mi NW of San Angelo
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.570, -100.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:19 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi N of San Angelo
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates: 31.520, -100.430

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:19 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi N of San Angelo
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 31.520, -100.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:25 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

Several metal storage buildings had their roofs blown off

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:28 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

A church roof was damaged, allowing water damage below

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 6:57 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi N of San Angelo
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.520, -100.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

A gas station sign was blown over onto a police car

Thunderstorm Wind, Coke

When: May 26, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Coke County, 10 mi SW of Robert Lee
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.800, -100.600

Hail, Sterling

When: May 26, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sterling County, 10 mi S of Sterling City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.680, -101.000

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 7:18 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi N of San Angelo
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.520, -100.430

Tornado, Tom Green

When: May 26, 7:30 PM CST to 7:50 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, Veribest
Rating: F1
Path length: 3.6 mi
Path width: 1,936 yd
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.3 million
Crop damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.270

A tornado destroyed 2 mobile homes, injuring two of the occupants inside one of them

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 7:41 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, Veribest
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.270

Baseball size hail

Hail, Runnels

When: May 26, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Runnels County, Miles
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.600, -100.180

Hail, Tom Green

When: May 26, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, 3 mi N of Veribest
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.520, -100.270

Baseball size hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Coleman

When: May 26, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Coleman County, Glen Cove
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.870, -99.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When: May 26, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County, Colorado City
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 32.400, -100.850

A roof was blown off a house and several trees uprroted

Flash Flood, Sterling

When: May 26, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Sterling County, Sterling City
Coordinates: 31.828, -101.050 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Street flooding reported

Thunderstorm Wind, Coleman

When: May 26, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Coleman County, Coleman
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 31.830, -99.430

Several power lines were blown down

Flash Flood, Concho

When: May 26, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Concho County, 2 mi W of Paint Rock
Coordinates: 31.327, -99.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 380 at Kickapoo Creek flooded and impassable

Tornado, Concho

When: May 26, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Concho County, Lowake
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 31.570, -100.080

Tornado destroyed an irrigation system

Thunderstorm Wind, Concho

When: May 26, 8:31 PM CST
Where: Concho County, 2 mi SE of Lowake
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 31.550, -100.070

A workshed was destroyed by high winds

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When: May 26, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County, 5 mi S of Colorado City
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph)
Coordinates: 32.330, -100.850

Measured wind gust to 78 mph

Thunderstorm Wind, Crockett

When: May 26, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Crockett County, 20 mi NW of Ozona
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 30.900, -101.430

Power poles were blown down

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: May 26, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Brown County, 8 mi NE of Brownwood
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 31.800, -98.880

Hail, Irion

When: May 26, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Irion County, 14 mi W of Mertzon
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.270, -101.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Coke

When: May 26, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Coke County, 10 mi S of Robert Lee
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.750, -100.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Coleman

When: May 26, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Coleman County, Glen Cove
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.870, -99.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Concho

When: May 26, 9:45 PM CST
Where: Concho County, Paint Rock
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.520, -99.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 10:05 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.470, -100.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When: May 26, 10:15 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, Christoval
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.200, -100.500

60 mph wind gust

Flash Flood, Tom Green

When: May 26, 10:25 PM CST to 11:55 PM CST
Where: Tom Green County, San Angelo
Coordinates: 31.404, -100.462 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roads in San Angelo covered by up to 3 feet of water

Hail, Brown

When: May 26, 10:27 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Brownwood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.720, -98.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When: May 26, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Lake Brownwood
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 31.850, -99.020

A roof was blown off a barn

Flash Flood, Brown

When: May 26, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Brownwood
Coordinates: 31.774, -99.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several streets were closed due to high water

Thunderstorm Wind, McCulloch

When: May 26, 11:30 PM CST
Where: McCulloch County, 2 mi NE of Brady
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 31.150, -99.320

A roof on a house was damaged and a metal shed destroyed

Hail, Sutton

When: May 26, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Sutton County, Sonora
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 30.570, -100.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Crockett

When: May 26, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Crockett County, Ozona
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 30.700, -101.200

A hangar roof was blown off at the airport

Thunderstorm Wind, Coleman

When: May 27, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Coleman County, Glen Cove
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.870, -99.650

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.
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

Every storm in Texas in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1998 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: 5640921, 5640922, 5640923, 5641261, 5640924, 5640925, 5640926, 5640927, 5640937, 5641247, 5640928, 5640929, 5640930, 5640931, 5640932, 5640933, 5640934, 5641254, 5641262, 5640935, 5640936, 5640942, 5640938, 5640939, 5640940, 5641255, 5640941, 5641263, 5641256, 5641264, 5641265, 5641266, 5640943, 5641257, 5641267, 5641248, 5641268, 5641258, 5641269, 5641260, and more.