Texas, 1998

Tornado and Hail in Texas, October 5, 1998

October 5, 1998 · NWS SJT · 17 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong cold front dropping through West Central Texas produced widespread severe weather across the area. A brief tornado touchdown was reported in the western sections of Crockett County, knocking down 15 power poles.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
0
Property damage
$8,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
17

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 strong cold front dropping through West Central Texas produced widespread severe weather across the area. A brief tornado touchdown was reported in the western sections of Crockett County, knocking down 15 power poles. Other severe storms produced hail up to the size of baseballs in Rowena and golf balls in Ballinger.

The radar

The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Tom Green

When
October 5, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Tom Green County, 10 mi N of San Angelo
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
31.620, -100.430

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 2:48 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Winters
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.970, -99.950

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 2:50 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Winters
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
31.970, -99.950

Walnut size hail

Hail, Taylor

When
October 5, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Taylor County, Lawn
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.130, -99.750

Tornado, Crockett

When
October 5, 3:35 PM CST
Where
Crockett County, 30 mi W of Ozona
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
30.700, -101.700

A brief tornado downed 15 power poles across western Crockett County.

Hail, Coleman

When
October 5, 3:42 PM CST
Where
Coleman County, Coleman
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
31.830, -99.430

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 3:59 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Ballinger
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.750, -99.950

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 4:03 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Ballinger
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.750, -99.950

Golf ball size hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Tom Green

When
October 5, 4:07 PM CST
Where
Tom Green County, 13 mi NE of San Angelo
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
31.600, -100.280

Wind gust estimated at 70 mph

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 4:10 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Miles
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
31.600, -100.180

Hail, Runnels

When
October 5, 4:25 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Rowena
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
31.650, -100.050

Baseball size hail

Hail, Tom Green

When
October 5, 4:32 PM CST
Where
Tom Green County, San Angelo
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.470, -100.430

Hail, Coleman

When
October 5, 4:40 PM CST
Where
Coleman County, Silver Vly
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
31.970, -99.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Crockett

When
October 5, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Crockett County, 27 mi SW of Ozona
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
30.420, -101.520

Wind gust estimated at 60 mph

Hail, Schleicher

When
October 5, 5:48 PM CST
Where
Schleicher County, 12 mi N of Eldorado
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.020, -100.620

Hail, Crockett

When
October 5, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Crockett County, 25 mi SW of Ozona
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
30.450, -101.500

Golf ball size hail

Hail, Crockett

When
October 5, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Crockett County, 35 mi S of Ozona
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
30.200, -101.200

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.

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: 5670210, 5670335, 5670211, 5670212, 5670334, 5670213, 5670214, 5670215, 5670216, 5670217, 5670218, 5670219, 5670220, 5670221, 5670222, 5670223, 5670224.