Northerly flow on the back side of a departing upper level disturbance, combined with hot, humid, unstable air along the Rio Grande to promote several areas of strong to severe thunderstorms. More than an hour of heavy rainfall produced urban flooding in La Joya between 330 and 4 pm, with high water continuing through 430 pm.
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.
Northerly flow on the back side of a departing upper level disturbance, combined with hot, humid, unstable air along the Rio Grande to promote several areas of strong to severe thunderstorms. More than an hour of heavy rainfall produced urban flooding in La Joya between 330 and 4 pm, with high water continuing through 430 pm. The large storm cell surged from northeast Cameron County through Bayview, then on into Brownsville between 4 and 445 pm. Additional cells formed on outflows and continued the heavy rains west of Harlingen through around 6 pm, with between 3.25 and 4.7 inches having fallen. Scattered reports of large hail, urban flooding, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes, and pockets of wind damage to tree limbs and power lines was common.
The last surge of intense storms occurred just before sunset, as remnant boundaries fired in a small area of southern Starr County, around and just north of Rio Grande City. An intense but brief updraft surged into the storm and resulted in reports of quarter sized hail or larger.
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 28, 12:51 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 151 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 .SHORT TERM /NOW THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...CONVECTION IS TRYING TO FIRE ALONG A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM AROUND PORT MANSFIELD TO RIO GRANDE CITY. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE /3000 J/KG OF CAPE/ LOOK TO BE SUFFICIENT TO FIRE OFF A FEW STORMS THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. DID INCREASE POPS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE BOUNDARY WHICH IS MAKING STEADY SOUTHWARD PROGRESS. ONE OR TWO OF THESE STORMS COULD APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS BUT DO NOT EXPECT WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. WITH THE UPPER LOW CONTINUE TO SPIN OVER THE ARKLATEX AND PROGGED TO DRIFT SOUTH ALONG THE TX/LA BORDER WILL MAINTAIN THE LOW END POPS THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. WEAK PERTURBATIONS AND MODEST MOISTURE AND A CONTINUED CONDITIONALLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE LOW CONVECTION CHANCES. MODEL GUIDANCE REMAINS LOW BUT SLIGHTLY HIGHER THEN YESTERDAY. CONVECTION OVER THE SIERRA MADRE DOES NOT LOOK TO A FACTOR THIS EVENING. DRIER AIR ALOFT AND A MORE NORTH TO SOUTH FLOW ACROSS NORTHEAST MEXICO LOOK TO KEEP CONVECTION ISOLATED AND WEST OF THE RIVER RESPECTIVELY. TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN RATHER HOT DURING THE DAY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM AND MUGGY AT NIGHT. MAV/MET GUIDANCE CONTINUE TO SHOW NOT AS WARM DAYTIME HIGHS ON THURSDAY WITH POSSIBLE SOME THICKER HIGH CLOUDS MOVING IN FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC. WILL TREND JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THEN THESE MODELS KEEPING THE THICKEST CLOUDS TO OUR SOUTH. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...A MID LEVEL LOW SPINNING OVER EAST TEXAS WILL SHIFT SLOWLY EAST...BUT WILL STILL BE WITHIN RANGE...ROUGHLY OVER LOUISIANA...TO MAINTAIN UNSETTLED CONDITIONS LOCALLY. THE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY FILL AND FLATTEN OUT GOING INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER HEIGHTS BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST UNDER MULTIPLE ATTACKS OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. IN ADDITION...UPPER MOISTURE FROM THE CURRENT TS AMANDA IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC WILL WORK ACROSS MEXICO AND INTO THE SOUTHWEST GULF...WITH FEW TO SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS FOR THE CWA AS WELL. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION REACHING THE CWA WILL BE FRIDAY MOVING EAST FROM NORTHEAST MEXICO. CONVECTIVE CHANCES WILL DIMINISH OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE ENVIRONMENT BECOMES LESS FAVORABLE...THAT IS... LESS UPPER MOISTURE...H5 MID LEVEL RIDGING MOVING IN FROM THE WEST...AND A DISAPPEARING UPPER LOW. SINCE THE SCENARIO HAS NOT CHANGED A WHOLE LOT...KEPT THE INHERITED FORECAST MAINLY INTACT WITH ABOVE AVERAGE CONFIDENCE. TEMPS FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND SHOULD BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL WITH A PERSISTENT ONSHORE WIND. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE MID 70S FOR MUCH OF THE CWA... WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER DEW POINTS AND HUMIDITY FOR EASTERN SECTIONS. A RICHER MIX OF SUN WILL DEVELOP LATE IN THE WEEKEND AS THE MID LEVEL RIDGING FROM THE WEST GAINS CONTROL. && .MARINE... NOW THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...BROAD LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE TEXAS COAST AND BROAD HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL PRODUCE A WEAK ON SHORE FLOW TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. SEAS TO LOWER ANOTHER FOOT BY THURSDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TSTM ACTIVITY IS HOWEVER EXPECTED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM REMAINING OVER EAST TEXAS. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...A BROAD MID LEVEL LOW OVER LOUISIANA AND THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST WILL CONTRIBUTE TO CONTINUED UNSETTLED MARINE CONDITIONS FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. UPPER MOISTURE FROM THE REMAINS OF TS AMANDA IN THE PACIFIC MAY ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN MAINTAINING CLOUD COVER. IN GENERAL...HOWEVER...A FLAT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE GULF WILL PRODUCE LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS AND LOW TO MODERATE SEAS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 77 87 76 86 / 20 20 10 20 BROWNSVILLE 76 90 76 89 / 20 20 20 20 HARLINGEN 75 91 74 90 / 20 20 20 20 MCALLEN 77 95 75 93 / 10 20 20 30 RIO GRANDE CITY 76 94 76 93 / 20 10 20 20 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 78 83 76 83 / 20 20 10 20 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 59/54/58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 535 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 TXZ248>257-282200- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 535 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS POSSIBLY PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIND GUSTS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT COMPLETELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-282200- 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- 535 AM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 242 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 TXZ252-253-282030- STARR-HIDALGO- 242 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTHWESTERN HIDALGO COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. SOUTHERN STARR COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. UNTIL 330 PM CDT... AT 242 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...FROM 13 MILES EAST OF EDINBURG TO RIO GRANDE CITY...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING... PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MADERO. LA GRULLA. GRANJERO. HIDALGO. MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL MEDIA...OR WEATHER.GOV FOR UPDATES. && 61
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 247 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 TXZ251-254-256-257-282030- COASTAL CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-INLAND WILLACY-KENEDY- 247 PM CDT WED MAY 28 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... NORTHEASTERN CAMERON COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. SOUTHEASTERN KENEDY COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. EASTERN WILLACY COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. UNTIL 330 PM CDT... AT 247 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...FROM 34 MILES EAST OF PORT MANSFIELD TO 8 MILES WEST OF PORT MANSFIELD...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING... PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... PORT MANSFIELD. ARROYO CITY. MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL MEDIA...OR WEATHER.GOV FOR UPDATES. && 61
The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:02 UTC.
3 heavy rain, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Approximately an hour of heavy rainfall, with rainfall totals approaching 3 inches, produced urban flooding in La Joya between 330 and 4 pm CDT. Reports of one to two feet of standing water in roadways were received.
Public reported penny sized hail in Port Isabel.
The ASOS at the Port Isabel Airport in Bayview reported a 58 knot wind gust.
Local law enforcement officials reported two house fires started by lightning strikes in the town of Laguna Vista.
NWS employee reported several one to two foot diameter trees snapped with estimated 60 mph wind gusts.
Almost an hour of heavy rain fell across Brownsville during the late afternoon hours of May 28th. CoCoRaHS observers reported between 2 and a little over 2.5 inches of rain across western Brownsville. The downpours resulted in streets in downtown Brownsville being covered in as much 18 inches of water, especially near Palm Boulevard, where trash cans were reported floating along the roadway.
Heavy rain fell for almost two hours across Rio Grande City during the early evening hours of May 28th. The Rio Grande City Fire Department reported one foot of water on the road near FM 755 and Embassy Street. Official rainfall reports from the COOP observer in Rio Grande City showed 2.6 inches of rain fall, with an unofficial report of 3.74 inches near FM 755.
Trained spotter reported quarter size hail and provided a video that suggested hail up to half dollar size fell.
Trained spotter reported wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph in Rio Grande City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2014
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: 523925, 522908, 522879, 523952, 522910, 523937, 523950, 522930, 522936.