Texas, 1998

Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, October 30, 1998

October 30, 1998 · NWS AMA · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Numerous thunderstorms producing very heavy rainfall resulting in flooding of streets and creeks along with hail moved slowly across the western and southern Texas panhandle during the evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 AMA wrote it up.

Numerous thunderstorms producing very heavy rainfall resulting in flooding of streets and creeks along with hail moved slowly across the western and southern Texas panhandle during the evening hours.

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:35 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hartley

When
October 30, 5:38 PM CST to 5:47 PM CST
Where
Hartley County, Channing
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.680, -102.330

Hail, Randall

When
October 30, 7:56 PM CST
Where
Randall County, Ogg
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.830, -101.880

Hail, Randall

When
October 30, 8:06 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 3 mi S of Canyon
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.930, -101.920

Flash Flood, Randall

When
October 30, 8:16 PM CST to 11:14 PM CST
Where
Randall County, 1 mi S of Canyon
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.966, -101.897 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Interstate 27 and U.S. Highway 87 were closed due to high water from just north of Canyon to the southern end of Randall county. State Highway 217 was also closed east from Canyon as it was four feet under water.

Flash Flood, Deaf Smith

When
October 30, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Deaf Smith County, Hereford
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.966, -102.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to four feet of water covering the roads in Hereford due to the Tierra Blanca Creek over-flowing. Also, numerous houses flooded in San Jose in southern Hereford as they are in a playa lake.

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, 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5671841, 5671842, 5671843, 5671839, 5671840.