Texas, 2003

Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 8, 2003

April 8, 2003 · NWS BRO · 7 events in 1 county or zone

One of the most destructive hail events in recorded history for the City of Brownsville occurred this day. A severe thunderstorm emerged into Cameron County from northern Mexico and dropped large amounts of wind-driven hail upon the city.

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
5
Property damage
$50 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 BRO wrote it up.

One of the most destructive hail events in recorded history for the City of Brownsville occurred this day. A severe thunderstorm emerged into Cameron County from northern Mexico and dropped large amounts of wind-driven hail upon the city. The hail destroyed roofs of homes and businesses, broke countless windows of automobiles and homes, and damaged vegetation. Approximately 10,000 insurance claims have been filed in association with this storm. Most of the large hail reports occurred between 925 and 950 CDT.The Brownsville Police Department reported that 12 cruisers had windshields shattered by hail, and Hanna High School in central Brownsville reported 285 automobiles with wndows broken by hail. Much of the northern and central portions of the city suffered damage from this intense and historic storm. The storm was heavily documented and covered in the media with widespread accounts of its damage. The storm proceeded eastward and downed power lines in the community of Laguna Vista.

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 8, 2:00 AM CST, 6 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 2:00 AM CST, 6 hours 25 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
300 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

DISCUSSION...SCATTERED CONVECTION MOVING OFF THE SIERRA MADRE
ORIENTAL MOUNTAINS IN NE MEXICO THIS MORNING...BUT PRECIP AMOUNTS IN
CWFA ARE LIGHT. CONVECTION NOT STRENGTHENING SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT
MOVES INTO CAPPED AREA...BUT ISOLATED CELLS SHOWING A BIT MORE
DEVELOPMENT TO THE SOUTH AND OFFSHORE...AND COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA
LATER. PER PHONE DISCUSSION WITH SPC...NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTING A
MAJOR SEVERE OUTBREAK...AS ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT ALONG A
LINE APPROACHING COT NOT DEVELOPING STRONG CONVECTION. RECENT RADAR
SHOWS FRONT ON THE MOVE AGAIN TOWARD COT WITH SOME ISOLATED STRONGER
CELLS. THINGS COULD DETERIORATE AS THE FRONT PUSHES TOWARD BRO IN
THE EARLY MORNING...SO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.

ISOLATED CONVECTION MAY LINGER INTO AFTERNOON...BUT STRONG HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT AND RAPID CLEARING
SHOULD OCCUR TONIGHT. THIS QUICK CLEARING WAS INTRODUCED WITH
YESTERDAY AFTERNOONS PACKAGE. HOWEVER...DESPITE CLEAR SKIES FROM
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER
THAN NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

SUBSIDENT AIRMASS TO PREVAIL THURSDAY WITH A 500 MB TROUGH OVER THE
SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES PROVIDING NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS SOUTH
TEXAS. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL SHIFT OVER
THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO FRIDAY WITH RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING. LIGHT
TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED SATURDAY BECOMING BREEZY SUNDAY
AND CONTINUING MONDAY.

MARINE...AT 1 AM BUOY020 REPORTED N WINDS 6 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 12 KTS
AND SEAS 4 FEET AT 7 SEC. OVER PREV 3 HRS...WINDS HAVE BEEN LIGHT
AND VRBL WITH SEAS STEADY UNDER WEAK SPG AS STRONG COLD FRONT MOVG
ACRS CNTRL TX TWD THE COAST. SCT/NMRS CONVECTION EXPECTED THIS
AM...SOME PSBLY SVR. BLDG SEAS DUE TO STRONG N WINDS IN WAKE OF
FRONT WILL NECESSITATE SCA TDA...AND LIKELY THRU WED AM AS SFC RIDGE
MAINTAINS TIGHT SPG. SFC WINDS VEER TO SE ON THU...AS RIDGE AXIS
MOVES OVER NW GULF. ON FRI...NEXT H5 TROUGH APRCHS PAC NW AS MDT SE
FLOW CONTINUES. BY SAT...SPG TIGHTENS BTWN RIDGE OVER GULF AND SFC
TROUGHING OVER W TX...INCRG SE WINDS TO SCEC LEVEL OVR BAY AND
OFFSHORE.

AVIATION...MVFR TO IFR COND EXPECTED TONIGHT THRU SUNRISE...DUE TO
VSBY AND CIGS WITH SHRA/+TSRA AND G30KTS...AS COLD FRONT MOVES ACRS
DPSOTEX. AFTER FROPA...EXPECT MVFR DUE TO CIGS WITH -RA/-SHRA AND
G25KTS...BECMG VFR BY MID AFTN. CLEARING LATE TONIGHT...AS H5 TROUGH
AXIS MOVES INTO DPSOTEX VEERING MID LVL WINDS TO NW.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES ONLY...
BRO TU 069/049 070/047 075 40/10/00/00/00
HRL TU 070/047 072/045 077 40/10/00/00/00
MFE TU 071/048 074/048 078 40/10/00/00/00
RGC WU 068/047 075/048 080 40/10/00/00/00
SPI TU 069/050 070/049 072 40/10/00/00/00

.BRO...SCA GMZ130-150-155-170-175.

54/63/59

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT:
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 5:00 AM CST, 3 hours 25 minutes before
TXZ248>257-091100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
600 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...AS A
STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS EARLY THIS
MORNING...FOLLOWED BY AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. STRONG NORTH WINDS IN
THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT WILL REQUIRE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES FOR THE
BAY AND COASTAL WATERS TODAY AND WEDNESDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS MORNING.

59

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 8, 5:46 AM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
TXZ252-081300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
646 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS HEADING FOR SOUTHWESTERN STARR COUNTY...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN COAHUILA MEXICO
EARLY THIS MORNING. ONE OF THESE STORMS IS MOVING INTO SOUTHWESTERN
STARR COUNTY AT 35 MPH.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN STARR COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR BRIEF VERY
HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING WITH THIS STORM...DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

59
Local storm report, Apr 8, 6:57 AM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
0757 AM CDT TUE APR 08 2003

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

0725 AM    5 NNW RIO GRANDE CITY     TX   60 MPH TSTORM WIND
04/08/03   STARR                          DOWNED POWER LINES

BHM
Local storm report, Apr 8, 7:05 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
0805 AM CDT TUE APR 08 2003

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

0804 AM    1 S SULLIVAN CITY         TX   1.00 IN HAIL
04/08/03   HIDALGO                        MAYOR OF SULLIVAN CITY
                                          REPORT

BHM
Local storm report, Apr 8, 7:28 AM CST, 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
0828 AM CDT TUE APR 08 2003

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

0827 AM    LA JOYA                   TX   0.75 IN HAIL
04/08/03   HIDALGO

TRS

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:25 AM CST to 8:50 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
2.75 in hail
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$50 million
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:28 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:30 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
3 in hail
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:40 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:41 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Hail, Cameron

When
April 8, 8:50 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Brownsville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
25.917, -97.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Cameron

When
April 8, 9:10 AM CST
Where
Cameron County, Laguna Vista
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
26.100, -97.300

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2003

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: 5355923, 5355618, 5355619, 5355920, 5355620, 5355921, 5355922.