Outflows from thunderstorms, an unstable air mass, and an upper level disturbance moving across Deep South Texas set the stage for more showers and strong to severe thunderstorms moving across portions of the CWA the afternoon of May 27th and into the early morning hours of May 28th. Frequent lightning was common with a large cell in southern Cameron County; the same cell produced large hail,…
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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 BRO wrote it up.
Outflows from thunderstorms, an unstable air mass, and an upper level disturbance moving across Deep South Texas set the stage for more showers and strong to severe thunderstorms moving across portions of the CWA the afternoon of May 27th and into the early morning hours of May 28th. Frequent lightning was common with a large cell in southern Cameron County; the same cell produced large hail, heavy rains, and a prolonged downburst that produced one wind damage event.
Another round of storms developed around midnight east of the Sierra Madre and west of Laredo, forming a large complex of thunderstorms which progressed through Deep South Texas after midnight. One set of storms containing a continuous hail core and possible microbursts raced through Zapata, Jim Hogg, Brooks, and Kenedy, Counties while other thunderstorms moved through Starr County and eastward through the Lower Rio Grande Valley. All storms contained frequent cloud to ground lightning and locally torrential rains.
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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 1:20 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 220 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 .DISCUSSION...MAIN FOCUS IN THE SHORT TERM WILL CONTINUE TO BE THREAT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH TX. CONTINUE TO MONITOR MCS THAT DEVELOPED DURING THE MRNG HRS NORTH OF THE AREA AND CONTINUES TO IMPACT AREAS AROUND THE COASTAL BEND. THE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN SHIFTING SEWD AND RADAR TRENDS HAVE INDICATED DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTHERN FRINGES CLOSER TO OUR CWA. ANTICIPATE THIS TREND TO CONTINUE WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE SOUTH ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN BRO CWA THRU THE AFTN/EVE POSSIBLY ALONG OUTFLOW. MAIN THREAT WITH THE MOST SEVERE ACTIVITY WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. SPC KEEPS DEEP SOUTH TX IN SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER THRU 12Z FRI. DECIDED TO RETAIN HIGHER POPS HERE THRU TNGT AND THEN BREAK THEM SLIGHTLY OVRNGT AND THEM BUMP THEM BACK UP DURING THE DAYTIME THU. SFC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SWD INTO OUR AREA THRU THU. EMBEDDED S/WV ENERGY IN THE MID LEVEL FLOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH THE VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS THRU THAT TIME PERIOD. PATTERN LOOKS TO PREVAIL THRU FRI AND WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION CHC FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SLIGHTLY DRIER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AS ACTIVITY MAY SHIFT BACK TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST ACROSS MEXICO AND POTENTIALLY HAVE ONLY AN IMPACT ALONG THE RIO GRANDE RIVER AND ADJACENT COUNTIES. CONTINUED BLEND OF MAV/MET TEMPS THRU THE SHORT TERM AS LATEST GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO REMAIN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT. OVERALL TEMPERATURE TREND SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL FOR LATE MAY THRU THE FCST PERIOD. && .AVIATION...THE MIDDAY BRO RAOB IS MAINTAINING THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY WITH A CAPE OF 3600 J/KG AND A PWAT OF AROUND 1.9 INCHES. THE CONV COMPLEX THAT FIRED OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE IS BUILDING SOUTHWARDS TOWARDS THE LOWER TX COASTLINE. THIS CONV COMPLEX WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SERIOUSLY IMPACT THE LOWER RGV AIRPORTS SEVERAL HOURS FROM NOW. WILL MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS IN THE SHORT TERM WITH A TREND TOWARDS MVFR CONDITIONS LATER IN THE TAF PERIOD AS THE CONV LINE GETS A LITTLE CLOSER. && .MARINE...OTHER THAN THE CONV CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE LOWER TX BAY AND GULF WATERS. EXPECT FAIRLY BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL INTO THIS COMING WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 78 88 75 88 / 50 50 30 30 BROWNSVILLE 75 89 74 90 / 50 50 30 30 HARLINGEN 75 91 75 91 / 50 50 30 30 MCALLEN 76 90 75 91 / 50 50 30 30 RIO GRANDE CITY 78 94 75 93 / 50 50 30 30 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 79 86 77 85 / 50 50 30 30 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE SYNOPTIC/GRIDS....57 MARINE/AVIATION...60 MESOSCALE...MARTINEZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1105 AM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-TXZ248>257-281100- LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO THE ARROYO COLORADO- LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE ARROYO COLORADO TO 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TX- LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX- COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 1105 AM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ANY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG TO SEVERE...ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. ANY OF THE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVED SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE. TOMASELLI/SPEECE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1150 AM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 TXZ248>257-272300- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...FALFURRIAS... SARITA...RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA...MCALLEN...EDINBURG...PHARR... MISSION...WESLACO...RAYMONDVILLE...BROWNSVILLE...HARLINGEN... PORT MANSFIELD...PORT ISABEL...SOUTH PADRE ISLAND... LAGUNA HEIGHTS...LAGUNA VISTA 1150 AM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING SOUTH TOWARDS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS... THE COMBINATION OF THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH AND A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THROUGH 6 PM THIS EVENING...THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF THE HIGHWAY 281 CORRIDOR INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF HIDALGO...BROOKS...KENEDY...WILLACY AND CAMERON. LATER TONIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY...THE THREAT OF STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION AS THE COLD FRONT SAGS CLOSER TO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. RESIDENTS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THEIR LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. SPEECE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
329 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0250 PM TSTM WND GST 53 NE PORT MANSFIELD 27.09N 96.82W
05/27/2009 M43 MPH GMZ175 XX BUOY
&&
TSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
347 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0320 PM TSTM WND GST PORT MANSFIELD 26.55N 97.43W
05/27/2009 M51 MPH WILLACY TX CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
RVSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 417 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 TXZ255-257-272215- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL CAMERON- 417 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL PORTIONS OF CAMERON COUNTY... A THUNDERSTORM...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH...WILL AFFECT LA PALOMA...SAN BENITO...LANTANA AND LOZANO...UNTIL 515 PM CDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH MAY CAUSE LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SOME DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND WIRES IS POSSIBLE. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. 61/MC
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
419 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0408 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NE BAYVIEW 26.17N 97.35W
05/27/2009 M46 MPH CAMERON TX ASOS
&&
TSThe Brownsville radar (KBRO), 22 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:34 UTC.
3 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Family of a National Weather Service Employee reported hail up to golf ball size|during an intense thunderstorm just northwest of the center of Los Fresnos.
The manager of the Port of Brownsville reported golf ball size hail on the grounds as a severe thunderstorm moved slowly through.
The business manager of a ship breaking and metal processing firm at the Port of Brownsville reported a bolted down radio tower was blown down by microburst winds associated with a severe thunderstorm, which produced golf ball sized hail nearby.
The Jim Hogg Sheriff’s Department reported golf ball size hail fell on Highway 16 approximately 10 miles south of the city of Hebbronville as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area.
The Jim Hogg Sheriff's Department reported water along and over State Highway 16 near the city of Randado during and a little after a thunderstorm moved through the area with locally heavy rainfall, estimated by radar to be more than 2 inches. The water depth on Highway 16 was estimated to be in inches, and the road was still passable.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes, associated with continuing strong storms which had earlier produced locally heavy rains and large hail across portions of Jim Hogg, Starr, and Zapata County, moved across the McAllen/Edinburg area during the pre-dawn hours. One of these strikes started a roof fire by igniting shingles at an estate home. Within an hour, the blaze had engulfed the entire roof; residents were able to escape unharmed. Video showed the house, as well as a vehicle, to be a total loss, with replacement estimated to be near $1 million.
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, May 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: 163945, 163944, 174075, 163946, 174078, 174084.