Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, June 24, 2004

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, June 24, 2004
Start: 2004-06-24T16:10
End: 2004-06-24T22:00
Location: Texas

June 24, 2004 · NWS MAF · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

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: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

A complex of strong thunderstorms affected portions of the central Permian Basin of west Texas during the late afternoon and early evening of the 24th. Although flash flooding presented the main threat to life and property, an isolated severe storm developed within the complex and resulted in large hail in the city of Midland. Midland was also the focus for the most dangerous flash flooding of the episode. Flooding of streets was widespread across the city with numerous vehicles becoming stalled. The Midland Fire department conducted over fifty high water rescues to remove stranded motorists from the rushing flood waters.

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 Jun 24, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 24, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
230 PM CDT THU JUN 24 2004

.SHORT TERM...
3H UPPER LOW LOOKS TO BE IN SW NM MVG E...SHRTWV TROF ALSO NOTED
LIFTING NE INTO W CENTRAL TX. SB INSTABILITY AXIS LOOKS TO BE
FOCUSED ALONG A HOBBS...TO PECOS...TO BIG BEND LINE AS INDICATED BY
MSAS LI/S AND DEVELOPMENT SEEN ON KMAF RADAR. HEAVY RAIN ASSOCD WITH
THESE STORMS LOOKS TO BE PRIMARY CONCERN AND SLOW MVG STORM DEVELOP
WITHIN PW/S OVER AN INCH. SCT POPS APPROPRIATE ACRS TRANS PECOS AND
PROBABLY MOST PB THIS EVENING. AREAS OF RN COOLED AIR AND DWPNTS N60
OVERNIGHT WILL FAVOR TEMPS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACRS PB.
OTHERWISE COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE PANHANDLE TONIGHT EXPECTED TO
REMAIN N OF CWFA THRU 12Z FRI WITH LIGHTISH SE WINDS.

.LONG TERM...
THE AREA WILL GENERALLY REMAIN UNDER THE RIDGE THROUGH MOST OF THE
FORECAST PERIOD WITH FAIRLY HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE LOWER
LAYERS.  WEAK DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE REGION IN
WEAK MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW.

HAVE INCREASED THE POPS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN SECTIONS
TOMORROW.  EXPECT DIURNAL CONVECTION AGAIN OVER THE MOUNTAINS
DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY.  EXPECT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY/COLD FRONT
TO MOVE INTO THE AREA BY AROUND NOON ON FRIDAY WHICH WILL PROVIDE A
FOCUS FOR CONVECTION TO INITIATE FROM.  WILL ALSO HAVE A WEAK
DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH IN LIGHT NORTHWEST FLOW TO HELP WITH
LARGE-SCALE LIFT.  THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE TO POPS OVER THE WEEKEND
WAS TO INCREASE THE PERMIAN BASIN TO SLIGHT CHANCE ON SATURDAY.  HAVE
CONTINUED THE TREND OF LOWERING HIGHS FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE EXPECTED CLOUD-COVER...MOISTURE..AND
POSSIBLE PRECIP.

HAVE INCREASED POPS IN THE TUE/WED TIMEFRAME AS IT LOOKS LIKE WE
WILL STAY IN THIS MOIST...UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WITH WEAK SHORTWAVES
MOVING THROUGH.  ONLY INCREASED TO SLIGHT CHANCE AT THIS TIME
HOWEVER...SINCE WE ARE STILL 5 DAYS AWAY.  MADE NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX             66  89  68  88 /  20  30  30  20
CARLSBAD NM               64  91  66  91 /  20  20  20  20
DRYDEN TX                 68  88  70  89 /  30  20  20  20
FORT STOCKTON TX          66  90  68  90 /  30  20  20  20
GUADALUPE PASS TX         63  84  64  84 /  20  20  20  20
HOBBS NM                  64  90  64  89 /  30  30  30  20
MARFA TX                  55  84  59  85 /  40  30  30  20
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX   67  89  68  89 /  30  20  20  20
ODESSA TX                 67  89  68  90 /  30  20  20  20
WINK TX                   69  94  70  94 /  30  20  20  20

&&

.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
NM...NONE.

&&

49/20

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 24, 3:38 PM CST, 32 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
438 PM CDT THU JUN 24 2004

UPDATED TO ADD MENTION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075-
079>082-258-251000-
ANDREWS-BIG BEND AREA-BORDEN-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-CRANE-
DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-DAWSON-ECTOR-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS-GAINES-
GLASSCOCK-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-
HOWARD-LOVING-MARFA PLATEAU-MARTIN-MIDLAND-MITCHELL-
NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-REAGAN-
REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-SCURRY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-
TERRELL-UPTON-VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-WARD-WINKLER-
438 PM CDT (338 PM MDT) THU JUN 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN
NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF WEST TEXAS
AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO THURSDAY EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS
AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY
PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF ARROYOS...DRAWS...AND OTHER LOW LYING
AREAS.  LASTLY...DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED
IN AND NEAR ANY THUNDERSTORM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED.

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES...AND
STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND
CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT http://www.srh.noaa.gov/maf.

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 17 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Midland

When: June 24, 4:10 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Midland County, Midland
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flooding of city streets was widespread across the city of Midland as a severe thunderstorm tracked across the area. Between two and four feet of water rushed down Midland and Wadley Drives. At least four vehicles were submerged. Cars were also stranded in high water near the intersection of Briarwood and Oriole in the northwestern parts of the city. Portions of Illinois Street, Midkiff, and U.S. Highway 80 were also inundated by flood waters. A total of fifty-three high water rescues were conducted by the Midland Fire Department during the storm. A one year-old child was abandoned in the car seat of a stranded vehicle and had to be rescued by fire officials. Despite the magnitude of the flooding, no injuries were reported thanks to the work of local emergency workers.

Hail, Midland

When: June 24, 4:15 PM CST to 4:25 PM CST
Where: Midland County, 1 mi NW of Midland
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous reports were received of nickel to quarter size hail in and near the city of Midland. Nickel size hail was reported in the Greentree subdivision on the city's northwest side. Hail to the size of quarters was reported several blocks south in the Briarwood division. Nickel size hail was also reported in Cotton Flats just southeast of the city.

Flash Flood, Ector

When: June 24, 6:42 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Ector County, 4 mi WSW of Goldsmith
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 31.869, -102.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm spotters reported high water flowing over State Highway 158 four miles west-southwest of Goldsmith near the intersection with State Highway 302.

Flash Flood, Upton

When: June 24, 8:31 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Upton County, 9 mi N of Rankin
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.017, -102.100

A deputy reported nearly a foot of water flowing over State Highway 349 north of Rankin.

What these are

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.
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

Every storm in Texas in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, June 2004

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: 5405785, 5405784, 5405786, 5405787.