Texas, 1998

Tornado and Flash Flood in Texas, October 27, 1998

October 27, 1998 · NWS MAF · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

3 hail, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 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
$1,000
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.

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 162 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Reeves

When
October 27, 4:35 PM CST
Where
Reeves County, Orla
Measured
1.25 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.820, -103.900

This storm broke out windows at the Orla Post Office before going on to produce a tornado to the northeast of Orla.

Tornado, Reeves

When
October 27, 4:45 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where
Reeves County, Orla to 6 mi NE of Orla
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
300 yd
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
31.880, -103.830

A spotter reported to Emergency Management Officials that a large tornado formed northeast of Orla and lasted about 5-6 minutes. This storm was a right-moving supercell that had persisted for over two hours. No damage was reported as the tornado was over open country.

Thunderstorm Wind, Winkler

When
October 27, 6:20 PM CST
Where
Winkler County, 3 mi NW of Wink
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
31.780, -103.180

The observer at the Winkler County Airport recorded a 53 knot (61 mph) gust.

Hail, Ward

When
October 27, 6:45 PM CST to 6:50 PM CST
Where
Ward County, Pyote
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
31.530, -103.130

Flash Flood, Winkler

When
October 27, 7:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Winkler County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.850, -103.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Orla storm continued to move to the east and began to cause heavy rains. Many county roads across the county became flooded.

Hail, Crane

When
October 27, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Crane County, Crane
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.400, -102.350

This storm developed on the south flank of the storm that went through Culberson, Reeves, and Winkler Counties. This storm took about a 290 degree track while the storm to the north moved at about 270 degrees.

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.
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.
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 historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1998Warnings in Texas, October 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: 5670970, 5670969, 5670972, 5670974, 5670971, 5670973.