A complex of multi-cell thunderstorms developed in the southeastern Texas Panhandle and moved east eventually forming a line of thunderstorms. SBCAPE of near 4000 J/kg along with wind shear of around 30 kts supported thunderstorm development.
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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 AMA wrote it up.
A complex of multi-cell thunderstorms developed in the southeastern Texas Panhandle and moved east eventually forming a line of thunderstorms. SBCAPE of near 4000 J/kg along with wind shear of around 30 kts supported thunderstorm development. The aforementioned region of the TX Panhandle was out ahead of a southward moving surface front with good instability out ahead of the surface boundary. Large hail up to golf balls were initially reported with the cellular storms before damaging wind gusts and even roof damage to a church was reported in the far southeastern Texas Panhandle along a damaging line of storms.
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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 14, 3:08 PM CST, 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 408 PM CDT Mon May 14 2018 .DISCUSSION... Persistent Rex Block begins to break down early Tuesday as next Pacific shortwave trof draws closer to southern California. This should lead to mid-level flow trending from southwest to near- zonal by late Tuesday, with strength of flow becoming light to moderate. Rising 500 mb heights on Wednesday over the Rockies causes flow to become northwest over Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles by Wednesday afternoon. Rockies ridge passes forecast area late Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with light to moderate southwest flow resuming. Next digging trof reaches Great Basin Thursday night, leading to strengthening southwest flow over Panhandles by early Friday, with southwest flow aloft expected to continue through the weekend. At the surface, cold front advancing southward in overtaking dryline. Southeast Texas Panhandle ahead of dryline remains ripe for severe thunderstorms this evening. Fairly rich and deep moisture pooling behind cold front will keep CAPE values much higher than in a typical post-dryline environment. Convective Inhibition is forecast to suppress thunderstorm development over much of the area this evening, but will monitor trends and developments. Models not in complete agreement regarding positions of frontal boundary and dryline. After some retreat of frontal boundary this evening and overnight, this boundary may push through northwest two-thirds of forecast area by Tuesday morning, with it perhaps stalling across the southeast Texas Panhandle Tuesday afternoon and evening. Pops remain highest in east Tuesday afternoon and evening due to possible stalled front. Models diverge on details, but idea of robust moisture return over at least the eastern half of the Panhandles Wednesday and Wednesday night. Chances for thunderstorms will remain in mainly eastern sections Wednesday through Saturday. By Saturday night, increasing moist low-level flow expected to lead to greater occurrence of nocturnal thunderstorms also through end of the forecast, with eastern sections continuing to be favored. 03 Cockrell && .FIRE WEATHER... Elevated fire weather conditions will continue across the far western Texas Panhandle this afternoon through this evening. Continued chances for showers and thunderstorms Tuesday and beyond should help to mitigate widespread fire weather concerns. Depending upon how much, if any rain falls, elevated fire weather conditions may develop across portions of the Panhandles Friday. 03 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 58 80 57 85 60 / 20 30 40 20 20 Beaver OK 59 78 58 84 61 / 30 20 50 30 30 Boise City OK 51 72 53 83 56 / 20 20 40 20 20 Borger TX 59 80 61 85 63 / 30 30 40 20 20 Boys Ranch TX 57 79 57 87 60 / 20 20 40 20 20 Canyon TX 59 82 57 87 61 / 20 30 40 20 20 Clarendon TX 61 83 61 85 62 / 30 30 40 20 30 Dalhart TX 56 75 54 85 56 / 10 30 40 20 20 Guymon OK 55 75 57 84 60 / 20 20 40 30 30 Hereford TX 57 81 57 87 60 / 10 20 30 20 20 Lipscomb TX 61 77 58 85 62 / 40 30 50 30 30 Pampa TX 57 78 58 82 60 / 30 30 40 30 30 Shamrock TX 63 83 62 84 63 / 40 30 50 30 30 Wellington TX 63 85 62 86 64 / 40 40 50 30 30 && .AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories... TX...None. OK...None. && 89/03
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 347 PM CDT Mon May 14 2018 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-151100- Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb- Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson- Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth- Palo Duro Canyon- 347 PM CDT Mon May 14 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Through Tonight. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected. Some thunderstorms over the southeastern Texas Panhandle may become strong to severe through this evening with damaging thunderstorm winds and large hail. Elevated fire weather conditions will continue across the far western Texas Panhandle this afternoon through this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms will be possible Tuesday through Sunday across most of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. If storms develop, they will have the potential to become strong to marginally severe, with damaging winds and hail the primary hazards. Some thunderstorms Tuesday evening may produce heavy rains, leading to localized flooding or flash flooding. Elevated fire weather conditions may develop across portions of the Panhandles Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Emergency managers and spotter groups should be ready for possible activation through this evening. Area fire managers and emergency officials should be alert for elevated fire weather conditions through this evening, and again Friday. Cockrell
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Amarillo TX 326 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018 TXZ019-142130- Donley TX- 326 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN DONLEY COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM CDT... At 326 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4 miles northeast of Brice, or 12 miles south of Clarendon, moving northeast at 40 mph. Nickel size hail and wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Clarendon, Hedley and Lelia Lake. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches. && LAT...LON 3502 10082 3507 10054 3475 10054 3475 10105 TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 227DEG 37KT 3477 10084 LG
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
340 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018
TXZ010-014-015-019-020-142145-
Hemphill TX-Gray TX-Wheeler TX-Donley TX-Collingsworth TX-
340 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WHEELER...EASTERN GRAY...WESTERN
COLLINGSWORTH...SOUTHERN HEMPHILL AND DONLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM
CDT...
At 339 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 4 miles north of Mclean to 8 miles southeast of
Alanreed to 5 miles south of Lelia Lake. Movement was northeast at 40
mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Clarendon, Shamrock, Briscoe, Wheeler, Mclean, Hedley, Lutie, Lelia
Lake, New Mobeetie, Twitty, Allison, Lela, Quail, Samnorwood,
Kellerville, Dozier, Alanreed, Greenbelt Lake and Mobeetie.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches.
&&
LAT...LON 3534 10069 3562 10058 3562 10054 3572 10054
3586 10049 3590 10000 3540 10000 3475 10033
3475 10109
TIME...MOT...LOC 2039Z 204DEG 37KT 3530 10062 3511 10066 3482 10080
LGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
416 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018
TXZ019-142145-
Donley TX-
416 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN DONLEY COUNTY UNTIL 445
PM CDT...
At 416 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Lelia Lake, or 8 miles southeast of Clarendon, moving northeast at 15
mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Hedley and Lelia Lake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches.
&&
LAT...LON 3484 10095 3510 10069 3498 10054 3475 10054
3475 10080
TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 219DEG 12KT 3485 10079
LGThe Amarillo radar (KAMA), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:30 UTC.
7 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Late report of dime to quarter sized hail, with up to half an inch of rain measured. Time of report estimated from radar.
Late report of quarter sized hail. Time estimated by radar.
Part of a roof blown off a church building.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2018
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: 755656, 755657, 755658, 755659, 755660, 755661, 755662, 755663, 755664.