Texas, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 31, 1999

August 31, 1999 · NWS HGX · 10 events in 4 counties and zones

9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.4 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 Houston radar (KHGX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chambers

When
August 31, 1:45 PM CST
Where
Chambers County, 7 mi W of Winnie
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates
29.820, -94.500

Power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harris

When
August 31, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Harris County, Kingwood
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.900, -95.320

Trees down at intersection of Northpark and E. Lake Houston.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harris

When
August 31, 3:10 PM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Harris County, Houston
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.730, -95.370

Shingles blown off roof of building at Highline near Tidwell (Key Map 454F), carports damaged and trees down on cars at intersection of Parker and Aldine-Westfield, and a tree fell on house near Hardy Toll Rd. (Key Map 413Y). Widespread reports of trees down across northern half of Houston including at KHOU-TV, intersection of Studewood & 14th Sts., at Jensen and Kelly Sts. just west of US 59, and at the Chase Tower downtown.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harris

When
August 31, 3:30 PM CST to 3:40 PM CST
Where
Harris County, Houston
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$990,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
29.730, -95.370

A construction worker was killed when the Hawthorne Suites Motel under construction at intersection of Beltway 8 and Stancliff collapsed. Roof damage reproted at Gillman Subaru at Bellaire and US 59, and wall of glass blown down at Red Lion Hotel in Galleria area. Traffic light damaged at intersection of Corporate Dr. and Bellaire, and power lines downed in Westbury area. Numerous reports of trees down across central and southwest Houston including along 5th Street in Alief and in Westbury area. Highest wind gust of 63 MPH at KPRC-TV on US 59.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fort Bend

When
August 31, 3:40 PM CST to 3:50 PM CST
Where
Fort Bend County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
29.500, -95.730

Power lines downed in Stafford. Numerous reports of large trees down across county including in downtown Sugar Land, near Oyster Creek, in Orchard, and in Pecan Grove.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fort Bend

When
August 31, 4:20 PM CST
Where
Fort Bend County, Rosenberg
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.550, -95.800

Large tree limbs and power lines down.

Hail, Fort Bend

When
August 31, 4:40 PM CST
Where
Fort Bend County, Beasley
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
29.500, -95.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Wharton

When
August 31, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Wharton County, 2 mi N of Pierce
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
29.270, -96.200

Barn damaged along County Rd. 365 with cotton modules damaged around county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wharton

When
August 31, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Wharton County, 10 mi NW of El Campo
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
29.300, -96.400

Power poles down between Nada and Crescent.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wharton

When
August 31, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Wharton County, 3 mi W of El Campo
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
29.200, -96.330

An easterly wave combined with extreme heating to produce severe weather across the upper Texas coastal area on the 31st. A cluster of severe thunderstorms formed over Chambers and eastern Harris counties, and evolved into a bow echo formation as they moved southwestward into Harris County. The bow echo produced widespread wind damage in the downtown, Galleria, and southwest portions of Houston between 400 and 500 PM CDT. The bow echo then pushed into northern Ft. Bend County producing wind damage there before weakening slightly. Severe thunderstorms continued southwestward into southern Ft. Bend and Wharton counties during the early evening hours.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Thunderstorm Wind, Harris1999-08-3154MaleLong Span RoofDirect

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 1999

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: 5719698, 5719697, 5719696, 5719619, 5719618, 5719617, 5719616, 5719615, 5719614, 5719613.