An area of late evening thunderstorms moved from the foothills of the Sierra Madre into the Rio Grande Plains, with a stronger cell reaching northern Zapata County. This cell produced marginally large hail, gusty winds, and low visibility.
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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.
An area of late evening thunderstorms moved from the foothills of the Sierra Madre into the Rio Grande Plains, with a stronger cell reaching northern Zapata County. This cell produced marginally large hail, gusty winds, and low visibility.
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 9, 5:54 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 654 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019 .DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below. && .AVIATION...Low cloud decks continue to increase across deep south Texas early this evening ahead of a weak cold front. MVFR conditions are expected tonight into Friday morning as low level moisture continues to increase across the area. BRO radar currently indicates some convection upstream near LRD and into northeast Mexico. Current model guidance suggest some convection may impact local TAF sites between 07 to 12z. Therefore, will mention VCTS at all airports with a TEMPO for TSRA at MFE. Some patchy fog will also be possible towards sunrise as winds become light. Light east to southeast winds tonight will back to the north to northeast by late in the period as the frontal boundary moves through the Rio Grande Valley. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 247 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019/ SHORT TERM (Tonight through Friday Night): A cold front with cooler cP air from Canada behind it, now pushing into Central Texas, will continue to sag south today, with destabilization occurring in the area ahead of it and downstream, i.e South Texas. Mid level flow is backing to southwest with diffluence aloft over Northeast Mexico. SPC has placed most of the BRO CWA in a slight risk area for severe weather through Friday morning, and just issued an initial severe thunderstorm watch for Zapata and Jim Hogg through 11 PM. Storms will have a tendency not only to form along the front, but also across the RG to the west, and from there move east. Large buoyancy and steep mid level lapse rates will be waiting to support strong updrafts as the cap breaks. If the storms moving east from the Sierras organize, upscale growth will be possible, with damaging/severe winds, large to very large hail, and an isolated tornado also possible. The activity will move east overnight, but also have a southward movement, so that the lower valley may have a slight risk of severe weather by Friday morning. After Friday morning, residual rainfall Friday and Friday night as the cooler air moves in, will we more steady and less convective in nature. Main difference will be lower temps Friday, in the 70s and 80s, with overnight lows in the 60s Friday night. LONG TERM (Saturday through Thursday): Active southwest flow will prevail through the upcoming weekend. GFS and ECM differ in the current solution with GFS being the wetter model at the moment as the ECM brings in high pressure and continues to move the surface front down stream. Kept some mention of POPs through the weekend to compensate for the possibility of the surface front hanging around along with upper level impulses moving aloft, however, there is obvious discrepancies keeping POPs on the low side. Going into next week an upper level low closes off upstream and slides generally eastward as the flow begins to transition to a more zonal or progressive flow. This should increase POPs by Tuesday as the low translate east across the Red River Valley. The globals do signal QPF across the region Tuesday through Thursday. Kept POPs going for this time frame. Didn't see a need to change temperatures yet, though any prolonged occurrence of clouds and rainfall may have some major implications on diurnal temperature swings. MARINE (Tonight through Friday Night): Light to moderate east to southeast winds will prevail as a cold front moves into central Texas this afternoon evening. Winds will shift to northeast and strengthen a bit as the cold front moves offshore of the middle Texas coast by Friday afternoon. Light to moderate winds will prevail Friday night into early Saturday as a weak surface trough sets up along the coast. Showers and thunderstorms will be more likely tonight through Friday as the front moves into the area. (Saturday through Thursday): Moderate winds and seas expected throughout much of the long term period. At this point, nothing more than cautionary wording expected for both Laguna Madre and the Gulf. That in mind, we can't rule out a sudden increase in winds and seas around any convection that develops. && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && This product is also available on the web at: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 63
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Brownsville TX 415 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019 TXZ248>257-351-353-102115- Zapata-Jim Hogg-Brooks-Inland Kenedy-Starr-Southern Hidalgo- Inland Willacy-Inland Cameron-Coastal Willacy-Coastal Cameron- Coastal Kenedy-Northern Hidalgo- 415 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Deep South Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Scattered to numerous thunderstorms...some strong to severe...will be expected to develop across deep south Texas from early this evening into tonight. Damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, heavy rainfall, frequent cloud to ground lightning and large hail of up to hen egg sized may be possible. There is a high risk of rip currents at the beaches of South Padre Island and at Boca Chica Beach today and tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Showers and thunderstorms may provide heavy rainfall across portions of deep south Texas Friday through Saturday. Ponding on roadways can be expected with heavy rainfall as well as minor flooding in low-lying areas as well as areas with poor drainage. An elevated risk of rip currents is possible at the local beaches Friday through Saturday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Any observations of large hail and damaging winds should be reported to local law enforcement and the National Weather Service office in Brownsville. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-102115- 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- 415 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of The Gulf of Mexico and The Laguna Madre. .DAY ONE...Tonight A Severe Thunderstorm Watch #158 is in effect for Jim Hogg and Zapata counties until 11 pm CDT tonight. Scattered to numerous thunderstorms...some strong to severe...will be possible from tonight into early Friday morning across the lower Texas coastal waters. Strong wind gusts, heavy rainfall, frequent cloud to ground lightning, agitated seas, local reductions in visibility, and hail may be possible with these storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Showers and thunderstorms may provide heavy rainfall across portions of the lower Texas coastal waters Friday through Saturday reducing visibilities to less than a nautical mile at times. In addition...frequent cloud to water lightning strikes can be expected with storms as well wind gusts to near 35 knots. Small Craft Advisories may be needed for the offshore waters of the lower Texas coast Friday through Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Any observations of large hail and damaging winds should be reported to the United States Coast Guard and the National Weather Service office in Brownsville Brady/63
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
844 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019
TXZ248-100245-
Zapata TX-
844 PM CDT Thu May 9 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN ZAPATA COUNTY UNTIL
945 PM CDT...
At 843 PM CDT, National Weather Service Doppler radar was tracking
strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 10 miles north of
Bustamante to 8 miles west of Las Palmas. Movement was north at 10
mph.
Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Zapata, Medina, Zapata High School, Zapata County Fire Department,
Zapata Middle School, Siesta Shores, Zapata County Public Library,
Las Palmas, Falcon Mesa and Zapata County Airport.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for
Deep South Texas.
LAT...LON 2709 9943 2711 9944 2718 9943 2727 9945
2728 9943 2728 9934 2727 9932 2727 9902
2676 9924 2685 9927 2687 9932 2692 9932
2693 9938 2696 9939 2698 9938 2702 9942
2701 9943 2702 9945 2706 9945
TIME...MOT...LOC 0143Z 172DEG 7KT 2714 9916 2698 9941
60/SPEECEThe Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 202 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:42 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Zapata County Sheriff's Office reported estimated nickel-sized hail, wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph, and low visibility from heavy rainfall along US Highway 83 about 5 miles north-northeast of San Ygnacio.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2019
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: 833510.