S. induced thunderstorms across the Sierra Madre Oriental during the early morning hours of May 8th.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 BRO wrote it up.
The leading edge of a slow moving upper level disturbance across the southwest U.S. induced thunderstorms across the Sierra Madre Oriental during the early morning hours of May 8th. These storms moved into the Rio Grande Plains toward noon, then linked up with additional lift from an approaching wind shift line drifting south from the South Texas Plains. Feeding on a very unstable atmosphere - cold and dry air well above the earth’s surface - initial storms would slam Zapata County during lunchtime with damaging wind, large hail, flooding rain, and frequent lightning. As the afternoon progressed, increasing contrast between cooler air across the South Texas Plains (60s and 70s) with the last of the early May heat in the Rio Grande Valley (90s) set the stage for additional storms with damaging winds and flooding rain in Zapata, and culminated with a monster supercell thunderstorm which cruised from southwest Brooks County through Raymondville before weakening.
This impressive supercell storm dominated the episode, and produced a measured instantaneous wind gust over 100 mph in rural Hidalgo County. Fortunately for the populated middle Valley, where more than 700,000 persons are at risk, this cell slid through northern Hidalgo County north of the SR 186 and U.S. 281 interchange, and accelerated through the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge northeast of Linn and San Manuel before reaching Raymondville (Willacy County). The cell quickly weakened by the end of dinner hour (6 to 7 PM CDT) before reaching the Laguna Madre and Gulf of Mexico.
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 8, 10:27 AM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1127 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 .DISCUSSION...PROCESSING UPDATES ATTM FOR ISSUANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH FOR UPPER VALLEY AND NORTHERN CWA ZONES. CELLS ALREADY FORMING JUST TO THE WEST OF ZAPATA COUNTY WITH GENERALLY EASTWARD PROPAGATION THROUGH THE DAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 943 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012/ DISCUSSION...POSTED UPDATE TO INCREASE POP CHANCES TODAY AND TO INTRODUCE SVR WORDING INTO WESTERN VALLEY FOR POSSIBILITY OF SVR ARRIVING BEFORE SUNSET. GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL STILL LOOK LIKE THE MAIN THREAT THIS EVENING AS THE NEXT WAVE MOVES INTO THE REGION. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 616 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012/ DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH CLOUDINESS RISING TO 4000 FEET WITH MODERATE SURFACE WINDS. AVIATION CONDITIONS WILL DEGRADE BEGINNING SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET AS CLOUD DECKS FALL AND WINDS DIMINISH. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A COLD FRONT AND OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHERN MEXICO AND MOVE EAST ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY OVERNIGHT. SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 420 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...THE ONGOING PATTERN OF DRY WEATHER WITH HOT TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TODAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE IN THE MIDDLE LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE CENTERED OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL MEXICO REMAINS EXTENDED OVER OUR REGION FOR ANOTHER 12 HOURS. TONIGHT... UNSETTLED WEATHER FINALLY ENTERS THE PICTURE...AS A WEAK COLD FRONT SLOWLY DROPS SOUTH INTO THE BRO CWFA. STORM PREDICTION CENTER MENTIONS THE FRONT AND A LAUNDRY LIST OF OTHER FACTORS THAT WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SEVERE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS FEATURING VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. WITH ZAPATA AND SLIVERS OF JIM HOGG AND STARR COUNTY CURRENTLY IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER UNTIL AROUND SUNRISE WEDNESDAY MORNING...HAVE INCLUDED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FOR TONIGHT SINCE STORM PREDICTION CENTER MENTIONS THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT AND OVER NEIGHBORING MEXICO BEFORE PROPAGATING EAST. APPEARS THAT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT REMAINS CLOSE BY IF NOT OVERHEAD. SUCCESSIVE SHIFTS WILL NEED TO MONITOR THE LATEST DISCUSSIONS FROM STORM PREDICTION CENTER...IN PART... TO DETERMINE IF MENTION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN BRO CWFA FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY. LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...THE PERSISTENT THEME OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT AND A MID LEVEL TROUGH COMBINING TO GIVE DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY A RAIN EVENT HAS NOT CHANGED. THE FRONT SHOULD TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS IT MOVES THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY...WITH HEAVY RAINING THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AND MOVING NORTH FROM MEXICO. COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL INCREASE OVER ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE LOWER RIO GRANDE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH NEARS AND MOVES NORTHEAST ACROSS TEXAS. RAINFALL LATE THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY WILL YIELD AROUND AN INCH FOR MOST OF THE CWA...WITH ISOLATED POCKETS OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CHANGEOVER TO SHOWERS FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE INFLUENCE OF THE LOW AND TROUGH ALOFT WANES. A SECOND SURGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY AND WILL INTRODUCE BREEZY NORTH WINDS WHILE STARTING TO DRY THINGS OUT WITH A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...OR A RIDGE UPSTREAM. SOME CLEARING POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND BEYOND...WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER BUT NEAR NORMAL TEMPS. MARINE... TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BUOY 42020 REPORTED EAST SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 8 KNOTS GUSTING TO AROUND 10 KNOTS WITH SEAS SLIGHTLY UNDER 2.5 FEET WITH A PERIOD OF 4 SECONDS AT 02 CDT/07 UTC. GENERALLY BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS...FEATURING LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND LOW TO MODERATE SEAS...WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE NEXT 36 HOURS AS WEAK LOW PRESSURE EXTENDS FROM THE BAY OF CAMPECHE INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. THE ONLY CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT...FEATURING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...AS A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY COUPLED WITH MID LEVEL INSTABILITY WILL TRIGGER UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER LAND AREAS...BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS AS TO HOW MUCH WILL TRANSLATE OUT OVER THE WATER. THE GFS SHOWS THE FRONT THROUGH THE LOWER TEXAS COAST AND OUT IN THE GULF WEDNESDAY NIGHT...BUT WITH SHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND MOST LIKELY INTENSITY THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE H5 LOW MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS...WITH ASSOCIATED ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH OVER SOUTH TEXAS. THE MOST INTENSE WEATHER WILL BE ON FRIDAY GIVEN THIS SCENARIO...AND THE GFS SHOWS THE FORMATION OF A COASTAL LOW AND ASSOCIATED STRONG CYCLONIC WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ON FRIDAY. A SECONDARY SURGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT WINDS TO MODERATE TO STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST ALONG THE COAST SATURDAY...WITH A MARINE TROUGH SITUATED WELL OFFSHORE. THE MODERATE TO STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH BUILDING SEAS. WAVE HEIGHTS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT TO NEAR ADVISORY CRITERIA...CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF THE MARINE FORECAST, && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE 64/67
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 TXZ248>253-091700- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO- 1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ZAPATA...JIM HOGG...BROOKS...KENEDY...STARR AND HIDALGO COUNTIES THROUGH 7PM. MAIN THREATS FROM ANY SEVERE WEATHER WOULD BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS POSSIBLE AT THE LOCAL BEACHES FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED STARTING THIS AFTERNOON. GMZ130-132-150-170-175-091700- 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- COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE 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- 1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS... ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE LAGUNA MADRE AND GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR ALL OR PORTIONS OF THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... MARINERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVATIONS OF LARGE HAIL OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BROWNSVILLE. TXZ254>257-091700- INLAND WILLACY-INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS... ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY THROUGH THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS POSSIBLE AT THE LOCAL BEACHES FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. GMZ135-155-091700- LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX- COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD OUT 20 NM- 1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD AND THE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM SHORE TO 20 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD THROUGH 7PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS... ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE LAGUNA MADRE AND GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR ALL OR PORTIONS OF THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... MARINERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVATIONS OF LARGE HAIL OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BROWNSVILLE.
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 207 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:59 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Zapata County emergency manager reported thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph occurred in San Ygnacio. Three to four homes were reported to have roof damage and one mobile home was destroyed.
AWOS at Zapata reported a 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
Public reported quarter size hail at the intersection of Lincoln and 5th Street.
Public reported estimated wind gust of 60 to 65 mph at Lincoln and 5th Street.
Street flooding with briefly up to 3 feet of moving water near the intersection of Irene and US 83. Photos also showed urban type flooding at a local park in the city of Zapata, with an estimated 1 foot of water depth.
The Hidalgo County Precinct #4 Constable recorded 4 to 4.5 inches of rainfall across his ranch to the northwest of U.S. Highway 281, approximately 6 miles north of Linn. High standing water of unknown depth was reported on unpaved roads and in some of the fields.
A semi trailer was blown over on US 281, 6 miles north of TX HWY 186. Driver of semi was injured. Driver stated that he had pulled onto the shoulder due to blinding rain and pelting hail and soon after, the downburst moved the trailer onto the dirt shoulder and then turned over. The trailer was carrying 5 tons of cargo (vacuum cleaners) and at least 200 gallons of diesel, which had to be removed from the scene.
The Precinct Constable, who lives about a mile southwest of the trailer incident, reported numerous asphalt shingles pulled from the northwest facing roof, and one window was blown out. Numerous mesquite trees were snapped or had large healthy limbs broken and healthy ebony and oak trees were also damaged on the ranch. Heavy cable was torn out of a telephone tower (0.2 miles SE of the ranch house) at an estimated height of 200 feet above the ground.
A peak instantaneous wind gust of 102 mph was recorded at a 10 meter temporary wind platform as the microburst surged through. The same platform recorded 35 minutes of wind gusts to 50 mph or higher; the platform was less than one half mile from the Constable's house.
Emergency manager reported winds from 50 to 60 mph in Raymondville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2012
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: 379764, 379766, 379767, 379768, 379769, 386984, 379770, 379772.