Scattered thunderstorms developed over the northwestern South Plains of west Texas during the evening hours of the 18th. These storms eventually spread southward over the western and central South Plains.
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 LUB wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over the northwestern South Plains of west Texas during the evening hours of the 18th. These storms eventually spread southward over the western and central South Plains. At least one isolated storm displayed supercellular structure as it impacted the Dimmitt vicinity in Castro County. This storm produced giant hail and damaging winds. A broad area of strong winds developed in the wake of the convective complex over the western South Plains, and a localized and brief severe gradient wind gust was measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet in Yoakum County. Renewed convective development occurred over the Rolling Plains after midnight CST. Severe storms, including a few supercells, produced large hail over portions of King and Stonewall Counties during the very early morning hours of the 19th. Significant agricultural losses were reported in Stonewall County, where between 1,500 and 2,000 acres of cotton were destroyed near Peacock.
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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 5:53 PM CST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 653 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009 .AVIATION... KLBB IS MOST AT-RISK FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LATER THIS EVENING IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. A NEW CONVECTIVE COMPLEX IS CURRENTLY BREWING ACROSS THE WESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND MOVING TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST... GENERALLY NEAR AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT RUNS FROM THE TEXAS BOYS RANCH TO TULIA AND DOWN TO FLOYDADA...BUT IS EDGING EAST AND EXPECTED TO BE NEAR KLBB BY OR SHORTLY AFTER 03Z. THIS WILL BE NEAR THE TIME THAT STORMS OVER THE PANHANDLE WILL BE APPROACHING AND VALIDATES A TEMPO GROUP IN THE KLBB TAF FOR THUNDER AND STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS BETWEEN 02Z AND 06Z. CANNOT RULE OUT THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO KCDS TERMINAL AS WELL LATE THIS EVENING...BUT A LITTLE HARDER TO CORROBORATE WITH OTHER INFORMATION SO WILL HOLD ON TO A CB REMARK ONLY FOR NOW. STORMS SHOULD CLEAR SOUTH OF TERMINALS FOR THE MOST PART BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WITH NO SIGNIFICANT STORMS SHOWING AT THIS TIME IN UPSTREAM OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. RMCQUEEN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 351 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009/ SHORT TERM... NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IS EXPECTED TO BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA ONCE AGAIN TONIGHT. MODELS SHOWING 500MB FLOW OUT OF THE NORTH-NORTHWEST INCREASING TO AROUND 40KTS THIS EVENING AT THE SAME TIME A LOW LEVEL JET WITH 25 TO 35KT SOUTHERLY WINDS BECOMES ESTABLISHED. THIS SHEAR PROFILE WILL SUPPORT AN MCS WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS MOVING SOUTH- SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. SATELLITE AND RADAR WERE ALREADY INDICATING INCREASING CONVECTION FROM THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO AT 3 PM...LIKELY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW MCS. A SEVERE WATCH IS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR PARTS OF NEW MEXICO AND THE WESTERN PANHANDLE AND NW SOUTH PLAINS...GOING THROUGH 10PM. AT THIS POINT IS SEEMS LIKELY THAT NEW WATCHES FOR POINTS FURTHER SOUTH/SOUTHEAST WILL BE COMING LATER THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...BUT LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. SOME CONVECTION MAY LINGER AFTER MIDNIGHT THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS SUNDAY. LONG TERM... WET PATTERN MAY CONTINUE FOR A FEW DAYS WITH STORMS FIRING ON THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AND PROPAGATING SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST INTO WEST TEXAS. KEPT HIGHER POPS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES DECREASING THEREAFTER. SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE STEEP LAPSE RATES AND ADEQUATE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION. INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL DECREASE A NOTCH AFTER TONIGHT...BUT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR SOME STORM ORGANIZATON AND UPSCALE GROWTH OF CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES ESPECIALLY IF DECENT S/SE LOW LEVEL INFLOW CONTINUES. DIFFERING SOLUTIONS EXIST TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK...BUT DRYING TREND APPEARS REASONABLE GIVEN SLIGHT EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF FLATTENING RIDGE AND WEAKENING MID/UPPER FLOW. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 62 93 65 96 65 / 60 10 60 30 50 TULIA 64 91 64 93 67 / 50 10 50 30 50 PLAINVIEW 64 92 65 93 66 / 50 10 40 30 50 LEVELLAND 65 95 66 97 66 / 50 10 40 30 50 LUBBOCK 67 95 68 96 70 / 50 10 40 20 50 DENVER CITY 66 97 66 98 68 / 50 10 40 30 50 BROWNFIELD 68 96 67 97 67 / 50 10 40 20 40 CHILDRESS 68 94 68 95 72 / 50 20 30 20 50 SPUR 69 96 69 96 67 / 50 20 30 20 40 ASPERMONT 69 96 69 97 72 / 50 30 30 20 30 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 99/99/05
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 446 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009 TXZ021>044-191000- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 446 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO...THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...AND THE SOUTH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE MOST LIKELY LOCATIONS WITHIN THE OUTLOOK AREA TO EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORM AND SEVERE WEATHER ACTIVITY LATER TODAY WILL BE THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PANHANDLE...AND AREAS OF THE SOUTH PLAINS WEST OF THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT. THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL LIKELY EXIST BETWEEN 4 PM AND MIDNIGHT...AS STORMS MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS. GIVEN THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY AND SHEAR...A FEW SUPERCELL STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE... HOWEVER...THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS AS ACTIVITY CONGEALS INTO A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. IN FACT...AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE OF HAIL UP TO TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER MAY OCCUR. IN ADDITION...A LOW THREAT FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO MAY ALSO EXIST...ESPECIALLY IF ANY REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM LAST EVENING/S ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS BECOMES APPARENT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST SUNDAY AND INTO THE FIRST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...A THREAT FOR ISOLATED AND BRIEFLY SEVERE STORMS WILL EXIST EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 721 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009 TXZ022-023-190115- CASTRO TX-SWISHER TX- 721 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING SWISHER AND CASTRO COUNTIES... AT 719 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE MONITORING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF EASTER...OR ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF HEREFORD...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH. BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THIS THUNDERSTORM. MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA FOR OTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. LAT...LON 3437 10176 3438 10244 3475 10243 3476 10195 TIME...MOT...LOC 0020Z 353DEG 18KT 3486 10224
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
750 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0750 PM HAIL 5 N DIMMITT 34.62N 102.31W
07/18/2009 E1.75 INCH CASTRO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
EVENT NUMBER 00631
JDVThe Amarillo radar (KAMA), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:48 UTC.
4 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Local officials reported quarter to golfball size hail along a swath of U.S. Highway 385 in the Dimmitt vicinity shortly before 19:00 CST. No significant damage was reported.
The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site northeast of Dimmitt recorded a thunderstorm wind gust up to 60 mph at 18:55 CST. By 18:59 CST local officials reported that several utility lines were downed by the winds west of Dimmitt along Texas Highway 86. Newspaper reports additionally indicated that at least one large tree was blown down in Dimmitt. The winds were at times accompanied by giant hail.
The public reported tennis ball size hail along Texas Highway 86 west of Dimmitt just before 19:00 CST. The hail was accompanied by damaging thunderstorm winds, however, only minor hail damage was reported.
Lightning struck a utility pole at the intersection of Slide Road and 98th Street in southwest Lubbock. As a result of the lightning strike, the top of the pole broke off and utility lines fell across 98th Street. No injuries were reported.
The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site south of Wolfforth recorded a severe thunderstorm wind gust of 65 mph at 21:10 CST. No damages were reported.
Strong winds overspread portions of the southwestern South Plains as gradients tightened in the wake of a departing convective complex during the late evening hours of the 18th. A brief severe wind gust of 58 mph was measured at the Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet site north of Plains at 23:25. No damage was reported.
The public reported that huge hail fell on the Masterson Ranch northeast of Guthrie during the very early morning hours on the 19th. Only minor damages were reported, and the event time is estimated based on radar data.
The public reported that between 1,500 and 2,000 acres of cotton were destroyed by large hail in the immediate Peacock vicinity during the 01:00 CST hour of the 19th. One local farmer described the damage left by the storm as the worst hail damage he remembered.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2009
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: 187034, 187036, 187035, 187040, 187038, 187042, 187043, 187045.