Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 22, 2008

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 22, 2008
Start: 2008-05-22T14:45
End: 2008-05-22T16:51
Location: Texas

May 22, 2008 · NWS SHV · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

southwest Arkansas as well as northern Louisiana encountered a very unstable airmass across the region. An upper level disturbance moved northeast from central Texas during the afternoon and evening hours of May 22nd.

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: 1
Property damage: $1.0 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 SHV wrote it up.

A northward moving warm front across northeast Texas...southwest Arkansas as well as northern Louisiana encountered a very unstable airmass across the region. An upper level disturbance moved northeast from central Texas during the afternoon and evening hours of May 22nd. The result was widespread severe thunderstorms which produced large hail and very damaging wind gusts. Numerous reports of trees and powerlines downed across the region with the Texarkana area getting hit very hard once again.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 22, 2:33 PM CST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 2:33 PM CST, 12 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
333 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

.DISCUSSION...
SCATTERED STRONG TSTMS...WITH HAIL POTENTIAL...STREAMING NORTHWARD
ACROSS CENTRAL LA...INTO NORTHERN PARTS OF STATE. ISOLATED SMALLER
CELLS POPPING UP OVER NW LA/EXTREME SW AR. PLACING CHANCE POPS FOR
TSTMS OVER AND JUST NORTH OF STRONGER ACTIVITY...ISOLATED
FURTHER NORTH. AS DAYTIME HEATING IS MAIN TRIGGER...CARRYING
CONVECTION UNTIL AROUND SUNSET. UPPER RIDGE OVERHEAD BUILDING
OVERHEAD IN RESPONSE TO DIGGING UPPER TROF OVER ROCKIES...PLAINLY
SEEN ON WATER VAPOR. THROUGH MOST OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...KEEP
ISOLATED DIURNAL CONVECTION...WITH TEMPERATURES INCHING UPWARD TO
AROUND MID 90S...AND SOUTHERLY BREEZE...ALTHOUGH NOT AS STRONG AS TODAY.
SRONGER MID LEVEL CAP NOTED BY MEMORIAL DAY...SO LEFT OUT POPS
FROM SUNDAY NIGHT UNTIL COLD FRONT BEGINS TO ARRIVE LATE TUESDAY.
THIS FRONT WILL BARELY PUSH THRU AREA AS IT MANEURVERS AROUND
DISRUPTED UPPER RIDGE...BUT SHOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH FOCUS FOR SCATTERED
CONVECTION... AND WILL BRING TEMPS BACK DOWN NEAR SEASONAL VALUES
BY END OF EXTENDED/VII/

&&

.AVIATION...

SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PERSIST OVER THE REGION AS A DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE ROCKIES THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. THUS HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER OUR AREA ALOFT
WHILE GULF MOISTURE STREAMS IN BENEATH IT. THUS EXPECT VERY WARM AND
HUMID WEATHER WITH MVFR CIGS COMMONPLACE FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL
MIDDAY...LIFTING TO VFR CIGS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY EACH DAY AS WELL. /17/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  72  93  73  95 /  20  20  20  20
MLU  69  92  71  95 /  20  20  20  20
DEQ  69  89  71  95 /  10  20  20  30
TXK  69  92  71  95 /  20  20  20  30
ELD  69  91  70  94 /  20  20  20  20
TYR  72  93  74  95 /  10  20  20  30
GGG  72  93  74  95 /  20  20  20  20
LFK  73  95  74  94 /  20  20  20  20

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE.
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 12:49 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
149 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096-
097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-231100-
ANGELINA-BIENVILLE-BOSSIER-BOWIE-CADDO-CALDWELL-CAMP-CASS-CHEROKEE-
CLAIBORNE-COLUMBIA-DE SOTO-FRANKLIN-GRANT-GREGG-HARRISON-HEMPSTEAD-
HOWARD-JACKSON-LA SALLE-LAFAYETTE-LINCOLN-LITTLE RIVER-MARION-
MCCURTAIN-MILLER-MORRIS-NACOGDOCHES-NATCHITOCHES-NEVADA-OUACHITA-
PANOLA-RED RIVER LA-RED RIVER TX-RUSK-SABINE LA-SABINE TX-
SAN AUGUSTINE-SEVIER-SHELBY-SMITH-TITUS-UNION AR-UNION LA-UPSHUR-
WEBSTER-WINN-WOOD-
149 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE
EAST TEXAS LAKES AREA BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AS A WEAK UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM SOUTH TEXAS...MOVES NORTHEAST INTO THE
AREA. MORE ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT CAN BE EXPECTED LATER IN THE
AFTERNOON NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. WITH THE STRONG INSTABILITY
PRESENT...AN ISOLATED STORM COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING HAIL AND
BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. HOWEVER...FOR THE MOST PART...FREQUENT
DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THUNDERSTORMS...WITH THE
OVERALL THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER APPEARING MINIMAL.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER...HAM RADIO OPERATOR...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR
TONIGHT.

VII

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Harrison

When: May 22, 2:45 PM CST
Where: Harrison County, 1.75 mi W of Marshall Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 32.520, -94.330

Penny sized hail fell along Interstate 20.

Hail, Nacogdoches

When: May 22, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Nacogdoches County, 0.91 mi NE of Oak Ridge
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 31.580, -94.540

Hail, Cass

When: May 22, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Cass County, 0.58 mi W of Kildare
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.930, -94.260

Hail fell near Kildare, Texas.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: May 22, 3:32 PM CST
Where: Harrison County, 2.43 mi ENE of Marshall Northeast
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.590, -94.290

Several trees were downed in the community of Nesbitt, Texas.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: May 22, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Bowie County, Texarkana
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 33.430, -94.050

Two severe thunderstorms came together over the south side of the city. One severe storm was moving northeastward from southern Bowie County while the other was moving northwestward through Miller County. Both storms collided in an area just south of downtown Texarkana. As a result of the collision, the storm cores collapsed in an area just east of State Line Avenue over a several block area between 16th and 20th Streets. Numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted onto homes and cars in the Glendale Subdivision. As the survey expanded outward to the north near 24th Street and the Woodlawn Cemetery, trees were noted to have fallen in a north or northeastward direction typical of a microburst. Damage was found as far northeast as the Calvary Cemetery area with trees downed in a north to northeast direction. Trees were also uprooted and snapped on the Texas side of State Line Avenue with a heavier concentration along Magnolia Street between 24th Street and 30th Streets. It was noted that the trees fell in a northwesterly direction which would be expected if a microburst had occurred to the south and east of those locations. Numerous homes were damaged on the Texas side of State Line Avenue as a result. Powerlines were also downed throughout the area as a result of either poles snapping or trees falling on the lines. The area impacted by the microburst is approximately 3.5 miles long to the northeast of the origin and 4 miles in width from one end of the damage swath to the other. City and County officials estimate that 44 homes sustained major damage with an unknown number of vehicles damaged. At least 100 damage reports have been collected thus far. Only one minor injury occurred when a tree fell on a home injuring an elderly woman inside.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: May 22, 4:32 PM CST
Where: Bowie County, 1.15 mi E of Red Spgs
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 33.400, -94.180

Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down on a car near the intersection of Tri-State Road and U.S. 67. Children were trapped in the car. The children were rescued with no injuries reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: May 22, 4:51 PM CST
Where: Bowie County, 1.5 mi NNE of Texarkana
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 33.450, -94.040

Trees downed on a home at 2411 Laurel Street on the Arkansas side of the city.

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

Every storm in Texas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, May 2008

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: 103549, 103550, 103556, 103557, 103575, 103559, 103565.