A complex of showers and thunderstorms propagated over the Permian Basin of west Texas during the morning hours of the 15th. Isolated occurrences of small hail and damaging thunderstorm winds were associated with the convection over the central Permian Basin.
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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.
The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.
A complex of showers and thunderstorms propagated over the Permian Basin of west Texas during the morning hours of the 15th. Isolated occurrences of small hail and damaging thunderstorm winds were associated with the convection over the central Permian Basin. These storms additionally produced very heavy rainfall with measured rainfall totals approaching two inches across parts of the area. Numerous reports of flash flooding resulted, mainly in urban areas. The worst flooding occurred in Odessa where fire crews conducted more than thirty high water rescues. No injuries were reported.
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 May 15, 1:14 AM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 214 AM CDT SUN MAY 15 2005 .SHORT TERM... CONVECTION ONGOING OVER THE CWA THIS MORNING IN MOIST...SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS. A FEW STRONG STORMS RESULTING. IN ADDITION... MCS HEADING FOR SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...AND WITH EAST/SOUTHEAST INFLOW AHEAD OF IT...AND SOME INDICATIONS ON REGIONAL RADAR OF A BOUNDARY EXTENDING TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE COMPLEX...IT COULD BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THROUGH SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND INTO THE PERMIAN BASIN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. OTHERWISE...EXPECT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF CONVECTION TODAY... EXCEPT MORE SO...AS STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL PERSIST OVER THE WESTERN FRINGE OF THE CWA. SINCE SOME HEATING OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS WILL OCCUR BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AND A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL BE HEADING FOR THESE AREAS...THINK WE/LL SEE EXTENSIVE TSRA DEVELOPMENT. 0 TO 6 KM BULK SHEAR IS PROGGED TO BE AT LEAST 25 TO 35 MPH...AND IS ALSO INDICATED TO INCREASE TO 35 TO 45 KT BY 16/00Z. SINCE WE/LL HAVE EAST/SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW AT THE SURFACE AND NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS COULD RESULT. MID LEVEL WINDS ARE ONLY PROGGED TO BE 10 TO 15 KT...BUT INSTABILITY COULD OFFSET THIS. .LONG TERM... TROUGH AXIS IS EXPECTED TO CLEAR THE AREA BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT/ EARLY TUESDAY...DEPENDING ON WHICH MODEL YOU BELIEVE. SINCE TIME IS SHORT...WILL NOT FIDDLE WITH GRIDS BEYOND TONIGHT MUCH. BESIDES...AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA...AND HOLD SWAY BY MIDWEEK. SO...TEMPERATURES APPEAR TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR MUCH OF THE EXTENDED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BIG SPRING TX 74 58 83 64 / 50 50 20 0 CARLSBAD NM 78 59 87 59 / 70 50 20 0 DRYDEN TX 80 62 83 62 / 50 50 20 0 FORT STOCKTON TX 78 62 86 63 / 60 50 20 0 GUADALUPE PASS TX 74 56 83 61 / 60 50 10 0 HOBBS NM 76 59 86 63 / 70 50 20 0 MARFA TX 73 51 80 51 / 50 50 20 0 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 74 59 82 63 / 50 50 20 0 ODESSA TX 76 60 86 67 / 60 50 20 0 WINK TX 80 62 90 65 / 60 50 20 0 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 99/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 502 AM CDT SUN MAY 15 2005 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-160902- 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- 502 AM CDT SUN MAY 15 2005 (402 AM MDT SUN MAY 15 2005) THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MOST LOCATIONS IN THE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION... FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED RAINFALL ON SATURDAY. THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL LAST INTO THE EVENING...BUT SHOULD DECREASE IN INTENSITY BY LATE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA MONDAY...WITH MORE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS ON TUESDAY. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED...A FEW STORMS ON MONDAY COULD BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN YOUR AREA. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING FROM THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS TO THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS...AND EASTWARD TO THE STOCKTON PLATEAU AND PERMIAN BASIN. 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 (LOWER CASE) HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
145 AM CDT SUN MAY 15 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 AM HAIL 8 SW CARLSBAD 32.32N 104.33W
05/15/2005 1.75 INCH EDDY NM TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOTTER REPORTED GOLF
BALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES WEST OF CAVERN CITY AIR TERMINAL.
0142 AM HAIL 7 SW CARLSBAD 32.33N 104.32W
05/15/2005 1.75 INCH EDDY NM FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT
PERSONNEL ONE QUARTER MILE EAST OF CAVERN CITY AIR
TERMINAL.
&&
SNThe Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:47 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Ector County emergency management officials reported that several large trees were uprooted by severe thunderstorm wind gusts in Odessa.
The Odessa Fire Department conducted thirty-five high water rescues as flash flooding of city streets stranded motorists in two to four feet of flowing flood waters. The Odessa American reported that the worst flooding occurred along Dixie Boulevard, Eighth Street, 42nd Street, and Muskingum Street.
Emergency management officials in Odessa reported that lightning was responsible for setting two structure fires in Odessa. The heavy rainfall that occurred over the city aided the firefighter's efforts and helped limit structural damage.
Reports of flash flooding in Midland were received as very heavy rainfall moved over the city. Initial reports indicated high water flowing through city streets, including Anetta and Eisenhower Streets near the intersection of Midland Drive in southern Midland. Several vehicles stalled in high water at the intersection of Wadley Drive and Godfrey Street by 06:53 CST, where water flowed over the hood of a pickup truck.
A trained spotter reported thunderstorm wind gusts estimated up to 60 MPH in Greenwood. The local broadcast media reported that several large trees were uprooted by the winds.
A local radio station relayed a report of flash flooding that affected a rural homestead in southwestern Mitchell County. Local residents reported that more than two inches of rain fell in a short period of time. This resulted in high water that briefly threatened a home.
Flash flooding along Beals Creek rendered several city streets near downtown Big Spring impassable. The worst flooding was reported near the intersections of Sixth and Circle Streets, and Second and Denton Streets.
A second round of showers and thunderstorms moved over Ector County during the late morning hours. Additional heavy rainfall resulted in renewed flash flooding in parts of Odessa. High water was reported flowing through several city streets, including the intersections of 16th and Moss Streets and VFW and Stephenson Streets.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2005
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: 5451276, 5451277, 5451283, 5451278, 5451282, 5451281, 5451279, 5451280.