Welcome rains late on May 8th and early on May 9th reduced mentionable drought conditions for Storm Data (Severe, or D2, or higher levels) across most of the Brush Country, with a sliver of D2 remaining in northeast Zapata and northwest Jim Hogg - the last vestige of what had been a larger area of Exceptional (D4) Drought at the end of March.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Welcome rains late on May 8th and early on May 9th reduced mentionable drought conditions for Storm Data (Severe, or D2, or higher levels) across most of the Brush Country, with a sliver of D2 remaining in northeast Zapata and northwest Jim Hogg - the last vestige of what had been a larger area of Exceptional (D4) Drought at the end of March.
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 11, 11:15 PM CST, 45 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1215 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1210 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026 Key Messages: * Rain-free weather conditions with warmer than normal temperatures can be expected through next weekend. * Heat Risk could begin building next weekend into the early parts of next week; widespread Moderate (Level 2 of 4) Heat Risk with pockets of Extreme (Level 3 of 4) Heat Risk is forecasted. * There is a low-medium (20-40%) chance for showers and thunderstorms developing next week (Monday through Wednesday). && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1033 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 Rain-free weather conditions along with warmer than normal temps can be expected through at least next weekend with high pressure in control, frontal boundaries well to our north, and a 588-591 dam heat ridge in place over Deep South Texas. We'll have to keep an eye out for next week and the potential for the weather pattern to become a bit more unsettled. Multiple forecast and AI/ML models/ensembles are suggesting an increase in showers and thunderstorms next week in association with an approaching or nearby frontal system. Currently, we have low-medium (20-40%) chances for showers and thunderstorms in the Monday through Wednesday timeframe. Again, we will continue to monitor the trends on the chance for the pattern becoming a bit more unsettled next week. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has outlooked much of Texas including all of Deep South Texas under a medium (50-60%) chance for a wetter than normal pattern in it's 6-10 day outlook which covers May 17-21. As mentioned earlier, temperatures will rune warmer than normal through the forecast period. High temperatures will generally range between the upper 80s to mid 90s across Deep South Texas. There could be a few upper 90s across the far western sections of our CWA (i.e. Zapata and Starr Counties). Overnight low temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s tonight through Thursday night before climbing into the mid 70s to lower 80s Friday night through next Tuesday night. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1210 AM CDT Tue May 12 2026 VFR conditions are expected to persist through the period at all TAF sites. Light northeast to easterly winds should also continue through the period as well. && .MARINE... Issued at 1033 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 Generally favorable marine conditions will prevail through next weekend with low to moderate winds and seas. Moderate seas could begin developing Friday night through the weekend. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BROWNSVILLE 87 70 89 71 / 0 0 0 0 HARLINGEN 86 66 88 66 / 0 0 0 0 MCALLEN 88 70 90 70 / 0 0 0 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 88 69 91 69 / 0 0 0 0 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 81 75 82 76 / 0 0 0 0 BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 84 70 86 71 / 0 0 0 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && SHORT TERM...23 LONG TERM....23 AVIATION...64-Katz
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) Drought persisted in northwest Jim Hogg County through the second and third weeks of May, before torrential rainfall of 3+ inches fell overnight May 20 into May 21, erasing the last of mentionable (D2) conditions for Storm Data beginning on May 26th.
Severe (D2) Drought persisted in far northeast Zapata County through the second and third weeks of May, before torrential rainfall of 2+ inches fell overnight May 20 into May 21, erasing the last of mentionable (D2) conditions for Storm Data beginning on May 26th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2026
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: 1344545, 1344546.