Texas, 1999

Tornado and Hail in Texas, May 11, 1999

May 11, 1999 · NWS EWX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

The tornado was preceded by strong, gusty winds, very heavy rainfall and finally, large hail. Severe winds in advance of the tornado took a roof off the High School in Harper and laid it on the ground on the opposite side of the building.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.1 million
Crop damage
$100,000
Events
3

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 EWX wrote it up.

The tornado was preceded by strong, gusty winds, very heavy rainfall and finally, large hail. Severe winds in advance of the tornado took a roof off the High School in Harper and laid it on the ground on the opposite side of the building. These winds also damaged several other roofs in the area. The tornado began its track around three miles east of Harper, moving toward the southeast. It lifted post oak trees out of the ground with their roots in tact. Approximately 2 miles down the path, it turned toward the south and continued for another 1.5 miles. Along its track, it destroyed. 35 homes, 10 mobile homes, and damaged or destroyed 25 outbuildings and barns. The tornado damage several vehicles and tossed one jeep over 100 yards.

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Gillespie

When
May 11, 7:00 PM CST to 7:10 PM CST
Where
Gillespie County, Harper
Property damage
$80,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
30.300, -99.250

Hail, Gillespie

When
May 11, 7:10 PM CST to 7:20 PM CST
Where
Gillespie County, Harper
Measured
2.5 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
30.300, -99.250

Tornado, Gillespie

When
May 11, 7:20 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where
Gillespie County, Harper to 3 mi SE of Harper
Rating
F3
Path length
3.5 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$1.0 million
Crop damage
$100,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
30.300, -99.200

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.
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.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 1999Warnings in Texas, May 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: 5695754, 5695755, 5695756.