A weak upper level disturbance over south Texas produced strong storms across portions of north Texas.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 FWD wrote it up.
A weak upper level disturbance over south Texas produced strong storms across portions of north Texas.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 3, 5:39 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 639 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 .UPDATE... WILL NOW UPDATE THE UPDATE...FOR SEVERE WEATHER WATCH 802. IT RUNS COOPER...WACO...CENTERVILLE AND POINTS EAST UNTIL MIDNIGHT. 84 && .PREV UPDATE... 624 PM WILL ISSUE UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM PARIS...WAXAHACHIE...TO GOLDTHWAITE FOR THIS EVENING. ALSO WILL ADD CHANCE SOUTHEAST OF ATHENS...TEMPLE. WITH MAX HEATING THE CAP IS VERY WEAK AND THESE STORMS ARE RIDING WEST SOUTHWEST ON THE FLOW AROUND TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD. INVERTED V SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNBURST WINDS...AND THERE MAY BE SOME MARGINAL SEVERE HAIL EARLY IN THE EVENING. CAPE VALUES DECREASE RAPIDLY TO THE WEST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS...SO WOULD NOT LOOK FOR ANY ACTIVITY IN THE METROPLEX. 84 && .AVIATION... 545 PM RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS OVER NORTH TEXAS. SOME STRONG STORMS NEAR LUFKIN AND PALESTINE MAY AFFECT WACO DURING THE NEXT 2-3 HRS. WILL LEAVE PRECIP MENTION OUT OF TAFS AS PROBABILITY SEEMS IS TOO LOW. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT BEFORE BECOMING MORE ESE TOMORROW. MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE INCREASING AS TS EDUOARD APPROACHES THE TEXAS COAST. WE MAY SEE RAIN FROM THIS SYSTEM BY TUESDAY NIGHT. SH/13 && .PREV UPDATE... WILL ISSUE UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM PARIS...WAXAHACHIE...TO GOLDTHWAITE FOR THIS EVENING. ALSO WILL ADD CHANCE SOUTHEAST OF ATHENS...TEMPLE. WITH MAX HEATING THE CAP IS VERY WEAK AND THESE STORMS ARE RIDING WEST SOUTHWEST ON THE FLOW AROUND TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD. INVERTED V SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNBURST WINDS...AND THERE MAY BE SOME MARGINAL SEVERE HAIL EARLY IN THE EVENING. CAPE VALUES DECREASE RAPIDLY TO THE WEST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS...SO WOULD NOT LOOK FOR ANY ACTIVITY IN THE METROPLEX. 84 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008/ THE HEAT WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE AFTER MONDAY. THERE COULD BE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ENTERING INTO FAR SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING...AS A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVES CLOSE TO THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WE HAVE LOW POPS IN THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. BY WEDNESDAY...WE HAVE MORE LOW POPS IN THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEASTERN ZONES...AS THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION TRIES TO SKIRT THE EXTREME WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN ZONES. THIS COULD HELP TO GET A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GOING...WHICH WILL BE GOOD FOR THE DROUGHT RIDDEN NORTH TEXAS AREA. OTHER THAN THIS POSSIBILITY...RAIN CHANCES LOOK BLEAK FOR THE NEXT 6 OR 7 DAYS. /26 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 81 105 80 102 78 / 10 5 5 10 10 WACO, TX 77 106 78 100 78 / 20 5 5 10 10 PARIS, TX 76 105 76 100 74 / 20 5 5 10 10 DENTON, TX 81 107 78 104 76 / 5 5 5 10 10 MCKINNEY, TX 74 105 77 103 75 / 10 5 5 10 10 DALLAS, TX 81 106 82 102 81 / 10 5 5 10 10 TERRELL, TX 76 107 76 100 75 / 20 5 5 10 10 CORSICANA, TX 74 103 76 97 75 / 30 5 5 10 10 TEMPLE, TX 74 101 76 99 75 / 30 5 5 20 20 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ091-092-100>102-115>117-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ093>095-103>107-118>123. && /
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 335 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-041100- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 335 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. DANGEROUS HEAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 104 AND 108 DEGREES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES NEAR 110 DEGREES. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS INCLUDING THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX...SHERMAN...SULPHUR SPRINGS AND PARIS. ELSEWHERE...A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REST OF NORTH TEXAS. AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL RANGE BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF AN ATHENS TO KILLEEN LINE. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BRIEFLY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. DANGEROUS HEAT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS ON MONDAY. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF NORTH TEXAS. A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS BEGINNING TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE CHANCE FOR STORMS WILL SPREAD NORTH TO INTERSTATE 20 ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DUNN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
637 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008
TXZ147-148-162-040000-
ANDERSON TX-FREESTONE TX-LEON TX-
637 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
EASTERN FREESTONE COUNTY
SOUTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY
NORTHEASTERN LEON COUNTY
AT 637 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTH OF PALESTINE...MOVING WEST AT 17
MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ELKHART AND PALESTINE.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...PEA-SIZED
HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
MONDAY MORNING FOR NORTHEASTERN TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3155 9556 3154 9558 3155 9560 3154 9561
3154 9564 3153 9565 3145 9604 3192 9598
3182 9552 3157 9545
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 086DEG 15KT 3161 9572
13The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 149 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:01 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were downed near Lake Palestine. Downed trees were reported on Highway 31 East and FM 317 and also at the intersection of Meredith and Cook Streets. Tree limbs were down near the intersection of Highway 31 and LaCosta Street near Athens.
Downburst winds caused widespread damage across the northern half of the county. A metal barn was damaged on CR 134. Tree damage occurred along Highway 84 between Lake Mexia and Prairie Hill on Lazy Lou Ranch. A metal roof of a residence was damaged on FM 2310 near the community of Sandy. The most significant damage occurred along the northwest shore of Lake Mexia near the Red Bud subdivision. Numerous trees were uprooted or blown down, with some falling on cars and mobile homes. Some damage to roofs was also noted.
Large tree limbs fell onto power lines, causing power outages.
Large limbs downed power lines and caused power outages across the county.
A building under construction collapsed as winds gusted near 40 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2008
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: 133846, 132090, 133843, 133844, 133847.