Texas, 2002

Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, August 13, 2002

August 13, 2002 · NWS MAF · 25 events in 10 counties and zones

The afternoon and evening of the 13th brought an active severe weather episode to West Texas. stretching from southwest Oklahoma into southeast New Mexico by late afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$60,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Events
25

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 MAF wrote it up.

The afternoon and evening of the 13th brought an active severe weather episode to West Texas. A cold front was slowly progressing across the southern plains...stretching from southwest Oklahoma into southeast New Mexico by late afternoon. A surface trough of low pressure was located south of the front across the Trans Pecos Region. Numerous severe thunderstorms developed across the area, a few of which took on supercellular characteristics. These storms resulted in hail to the size of baseballs and one tornado. Despite the amount of severe weather which took place across the area on the 13th, reports of damage were very limited.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 9:54 AM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 9:54 AM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1054 AM CDT TUE AUG 13 2002

15Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM NEAR ARTESIA
NM...TO LUBBOCK TX...TO HOBART OK. VERY IMPRESSIVE COOL TEMPERATURE
READINGS BEHIND THIS FRONT FOR MID-AUGUST...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE
MID TO UPPER 50S IN THE PANHANDLE AND NORTH WINDS BLOWING AT 15-20
MPH. THE FRONT SHOULD CONTINUE IT/S SOUTHWARD PUSH INTO THE PERMIAN
BASIN AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH PRESSURE RISES STILL AROUND 2.5
MB/HR IN EASTERN NM. ATMOSPHERE IS UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THE
BOUNDARY...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST WITH MIXED LAYER CAPES OF
AROUND 3000 J/KG AND LI/S AROUND -9. DIRECTIONAL SHEAR IS PROGGED TO
INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON...SO CURRENT THINKING IS THAT A FEW
SUPERCELLS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE
PERMIAN BASIN...MAINLY EAST OF A HOBBS...FORT STOCKTON LINE. WILL
MAINTAIN CURRENT SEVERE WORDING IN THE ZONES. WILL SEND AN UPDATE TO
ADJUST WINDS IN THE NORTH. ALL OTHER ZONE GROUPINGS LOOK FINE.
UPDATE OUT SHORTLY.

.MAF...
TX...NONE.
NM...NONE.

CLL

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 221 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Jeff Davis

When
August 13, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Jeff Davis County, 9 mi NW of Ft Davis
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
30.683, -103.983

Dime size hail was reported at the McDonald Observatory along with a peak wind gust of 56 MPH.

Hail, Jeff Davis

When
August 13, 2:20 PM CST
Where
Jeff Davis County, 8 mi SSW of Ft Davis
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
30.483, -103.933

A DPS officer reported dime size hail on Highway 17.

Hail, Pecos

When
August 13, 4:17 PM CST to 4:22 PM CST
Where
Pecos County, Coyanosa
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.167, -103.000

Hail, Ward

When
August 13, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Ward County, 12 mi S of Monahans
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.417, -102.900

Reported by a spotter at the intersection of Farm to Markets 1219 and 1776.

Hail, Howard

When
August 13, 4:55 PM CST to 5:18 PM CST
Where
Howard County, Forsan
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
32.117, -101.367

The NWS COOP observer in Forsan reported nickel to half dollar size hail.

Hail, Ward

When
August 13, 5:00 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where
Ward County, Monahans
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.583, -102.900

Numerous reports of large hail up to the size of golfballs were received from Monahans. Local newspaper reports indicated that several roofs and vehicles received damage due to the hail.

Lightning, Ward

When
August 13, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Ward County, Monahans
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
31.510, -103.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The local newspaper reported that lightning resulted in a minor house fire. Damage was restricted to the kitchen of the home. No injuries were reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Glasscock

When
August 13, 6:10 PM CST to 6:24 PM CST
Where
Glasscock County, 13 mi N of Garden City
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.050, -101.500

Hail, Mitchell

When
August 13, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Mitchell County, Loraine
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.417, -100.717

Hail, Ector

When
August 13, 6:19 PM CST to 6:25 PM CST
Where
Ector County, Penwell
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.733, -102.600

Hail, Midland

When
August 13, 6:22 PM CST
Where
Midland County, Midland
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
32.000, -102.083

An off duty NWS meteorologist reported dime size hail at Loop 250 and County Road 1140. This was the first of numerous reports of large hail in and near the city of Midland from a thunderstorm which rapidly became severe as it moved south out of southern Martin County.

Hail, Glasscock

When
August 13, 6:24 PM CST to 6:31 PM CST
Where
Glasscock County, 13 mi N of Garden City
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.050, -101.500

A trained spotter reported quarter size hail and 60 MPH thunderstorm winds on Highway 33.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ector

When
August 13, 6:45 PM CST to 6:46 PM CST
Where
Ector County, 12 mi SSE of Odessa
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.683, -102.283

Thunderstorm Wind, Midland

When
August 13, 6:46 PM CST
Where
Midland County, 24 mi SW of Midland
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.750, -102.367

The public and the local broadcast media reported 60 to 70 MPH winds in the far southwest corner of Midland County. These winds resulted from the outflow of the Ector County storm. Numerous road signs were blown down along Farm to Market 1787.

Hail, Midland

When
August 13, 6:50 PM CST
Where
Midland County, 4 mi NE of Midland
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
32.033, -102.033

Large hail was reported by an off duty NWS meteorologist along Interstate 20.

Hail, Midland

When
August 13, 6:51 PM CST to 7:10 PM CST
Where
Midland County, Midland
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.000, -102.083

Numerous reports of severe hail in the city of Midland were received. The largest hail observed was the size of golfballs. No significant damage was reported.

Hail, Glasscock

When
August 13, 7:01 PM CST to 7:09 PM CST
Where
Glasscock County, 3 mi N of Garden City
Measured
2.75 in hail
Crop damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.917, -101.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Glasscock

When
August 13, 7:01 PM CST to 7:05 PM CST
Where
Glasscock County, 3 mi N of Garden City
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.917, -101.500

A trained spotter reported hail up to the size of baseballs with damaging winds blowing down trees and power lines.

Tornado, Mitchell

When
August 13, 7:13 PM CST
Where
Mitchell County, 15 mi SSE of Colorado City
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
AIRPLANE PILOT
Coordinates
32.200, -100.750

A commercial airline pilot reported a brief tornado in southeast Mitchell County. Radar representation of the storm indicated the tornado was likely near Highway 208 about 15 miles SSE of Colorado City. No damage was reported by the local authorities.

Hail, Howard

When
August 13, 7:45 PM CST to 7:50 PM CST
Where
Howard County, Coahoma
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.300, -101.300

Hail, Midland

When
August 13, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Midland County, 4 mi NE of Midland
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
32.033, -102.033

A second severe thunderstorm developed on the east side of the city. This thunderstorm resulted in dime size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Reagan

When
August 13, 7:47 PM CST
Where
Reagan County, 13 mi N of Stiles
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.583, -101.583

Severe wind gusts were measured by a trained spotter along Highway 349.

Thunderstorm Wind, Upton

When
August 13, 8:05 PM CST
Where
Upton County, 11 mi N of Rankin
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.383, -101.900

Flash Flood, Glasscock

When
August 13, 8:05 PM CST to 8:20 PM CST
Where
Glasscock County, St Lawrence
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.870, -101.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding resulted in water up to two feet high over Farm to Market Road 2401.

Flash Flood, Midland

When
August 13, 8:10 PM CST to 8:20 PM CST
Where
Midland County, 21 mi SE of Midland
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding resulted in water up to two feet deep over Farm to Market Road 1379 just east of the intersection with Highway 349.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.
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.
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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2002Warnings in Texas, August 2002

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: 5315300, 5313758, 5315301, 5315302, 5315303, 5313756, 5313759, 5315307, 5315305, 5315304, 5315306, 5315308, 5315309, 5313757, 5315310, 5315311, 5315312, 5315313, 5315314, 5313752, 5315315, 5315316, 5313753, 5313754, 5313755.