Texas, 2002

Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, May 25, 2002

May 25, 2002 · NWS SJT · 10 events in 6 counties and zones

Scattered severe thunderstorms moved through the Big Country during the overnight hours dropping hail up to the size of golfballs. Other severe thunderstorms moved through the Heartland after sunrise and produce isolated severe hail in Brown County.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SJT wrote it up.

Scattered severe thunderstorms moved through the Big Country during the overnight hours dropping hail up to the size of golfballs. Other severe thunderstorms moved through the Heartland after sunrise and produce isolated severe hail in Brown County. Then during the late afternoon and evening more thunderstorms developed from the northern Concho Valley eastward into the Heartland. These thunderstorms produced isolated severe hail and up to five inches of rain that produced localized flash floods.

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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 1:50 PM CST, 11 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 1:50 PM CST, 11 hours 20 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
250 PM CDT FRI MAY 24 2002

WITH SUNSHINE AND GOOD MIXING TODAY...DRYLINE WILL LIKELY DEVELOP
ALONG AN IRAAN...BIG LAKE...COLORADO CITY LINE THIS EVENING.
ATMOSPHERE IS UNSTABLE WITH SATELLITE 17Z CAPES OF 3000 J/KG IN THE
WESTERN AND NORTHERN CWA. MESOETA CINH VALUES NEARLY ZERO AT 21Z THIS
AFTERNOON. STORMS THAT DEVELOP OFF THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE NORTHEAST
INTO THE CWA THIS EVENING. 15Z CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK INDICATED HASKELL
AND THROCKMORTON IN A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. AREAS
ALONG AND NORTH OF A STERLING CITY TO ROBERT LEE TO BROWNWOOD LINE
WERE IN A SLIGHT RISK.

COLD FRONT REMAINS IN THE PANHANDLE AT 19Z...FROM NEAR AMARILLO TO
GAGE. FRONT WILL BE SLOW MOVING TONIGHT...BUT SHOULD GET SOME HELP AS
5H SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS OVERNIGHT. MESOETA AND
AVN TIMING AGREE IN BRINGING THE FRONT INTO THE BIG COUNTRY IN THE
MORNING...THEN STALLING IN THE CONCHO VALLEY IN THE AFTERNOON. FRONT
WILL BE SHALLOW AND LACKING UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT...BUT WITH INSTABILITY
AND A FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR PROFILE NEAR DRYLINE AND FRONT...MAY SEE
SOME STORMS. AGAIN SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.

SUNDAY AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES OUT OF THE 4-CORNERS AREA AND
SLOWLY MOVES EAST INTO KANSAS WEDNESDAY. THIS MAY SLIGHTLY ENHANCE THE
THUNDERSTORMS POTENTIAL SUNDAY/SUNDAY EVENING.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK WILL SEE NORTHWEST TO NORTH FLOW
ALOFT AS UPPER RIDGE DEVELOPS OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS. WITH
MOISTURE HANGING AROUND...AND PROBABLY A WEAK CAP...THERE SHOULD BE
SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY.

PRELIMS...

ABI 065/079/062/082/063 3233
SJT 068/087/063/086/064 2233
JCT 068/089/065/087/065 1233

.SJT...NONE.

04

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 24, 11:43 PM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED TO ADD REPORT AT NOLAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO, TX
1243 AM CDT SAT MAY 25 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0537 PM    SWEETWATER                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN

0540 PM    LONGWORTH                 TX   .88 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   FISHER

0545 PM    3 N SWEETWATER            TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN                          DAMAGED WINDSHIELD OF
                                          PATROL CAR ON FISHER/NOLAN
                                          COUNTY LINE

0545 PM    3N SWEETWATER             TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   FISHER                         DAMAGED WINDSHIELD OF
                                          PATROL CAR ON FISHER/NOLAN
                                          COUNTY LINE

0552 PM    SWEETWATER                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN                          QUARTER SIZE HAIL COVERING
                                          THE GROUND

0552 PM    SWEETWATER                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN

0605 PM    SWEETWATER                TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN

0610 PM    LONGWORTH                 TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   FISHER

0715 PM    15 S MERKEL               TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/02   TAYLOR                         20X40 FOOT OUTBUILDING
                                          DESTROYED

0715 PM    3 S MERKEL                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   TAYLOR

0730 PM    15 S MERKEL               TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   TAYLOR

0730 PM    NOLAN                     TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   NOLAN                          REPORT BY COOP OBSERVER

0804 PM    2 NE HAPPY VALLEY         TX   TORNADO
05/24/02   TAYLOR

0815 PM    16 SSW ABILENE            TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/02   TAYLOR                         BARN BLOWN AWAY

0825 PM    3 E ABILENE               TX   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/24/02   TAYLOR

0837 PM    2 SE ABILENE              TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   TAYLOR

0838 PM    WINTERS                   TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

0838 PM    5 W BAIRD                 TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   CALLAHAN

0844 PM    WINTERS                   TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

0859 PM    WINTERS                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/02   RUNNELS                        NUMEROUS WINDOWS BLOWN
                                          OUT...LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          BROKEN

0859 PM    WINTERS                   TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

0900 PM    12 W BAIRD                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   CALLAHAN

0915 PM    9 N BALLINGER             TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/02   RUNNELS                        LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          DOWN...PROPANE TANK BLOWN
                                          OVER

0915 PM    CREWS                     TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

0920 PM    10 NE BALLINGER           TX   TORNADO
05/24/02   RUNNELS                        BRIEF TOUCHDOWN

0946 PM    BENOIT                    TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

0955 PM    10 NE BALLINGER           TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/24/02   RUNNELS                        LARGE TREE BLOWN ONTO
                                          TRUCK...OUTBUILDINGS
                                          DESTROYED

1045 PM    BALLINGER                 TX   .88 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

1049 PM    1 N BALLINGER             TX   .88 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

1053 PM    BALLINGER                 TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/24/02   RUNNELS

14

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Shackelford

When
May 25, 1:10 AM CST
Where
Shackelford County, Ft Griffin
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.933, -99.233

Hail, Haskell

When
May 25, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Haskell County, 13 mi SE of Haskell
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.033, -99.583

Hail, Shackelford

When
May 25, 2:05 AM CST
Where
Shackelford County, Ibex
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.683, -99.117

Hail, Shackelford

When
May 25, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Shackelford County, 8 mi N of Albany
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.850, -99.300

Hail, Brown

When
May 25, 7:32 AM CST
Where
Brown County, May
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
POST OFFICE
Coordinates
31.983, -98.933

Hail, Brown

When
May 25, 8:30 AM CST to 8:40 AM CST
Where
Brown County, 3 mi E of Zephyr
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
31.683, -98.750

Public report of quarter size hail lasting for about ten minutes. The hail accumulated to three inches deep.

Hail, McCulloch

When
May 25, 6:55 PM CST
Where
McCulloch County, 4 mi N of Lohn
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
31.367, -99.417

Flash Flood, Coke

When
May 25, 7:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Coke County, Robert Lee
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.889, -100.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Large amount of street flooding reported in Robert Lee.

Flash Flood, McCulloch

When
May 25, 7:21 PM CST to 8:21 PM CST
Where
McCulloch County, 10 mi NW of Lohn
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.199, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement reported water flowing over highways in northern McCulloch County.

Flash Flood, Runnels

When
May 25, 8:10 PM CST to 8:50 PM CST
Where
Runnels County, Ballinger
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.831, -99.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Street flooding reported in Ballnger.

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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 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: 5294662, 5294664, 5294663, 5294665, 5294666, 5294667, 5294668, 5294670, 5294669, 5294671.