Very hot temperatures on the afternoon of the 14th combined with mid-level moisture to create numerous high-based thunderstorms. The lowest levels of the atmosphere were very dry which allowed for most of the rainfall to evaporate before reaching the surface.
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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 LUB wrote it up.
Very hot temperatures on the afternoon of the 14th combined with mid-level moisture to create numerous high-based thunderstorms. The lowest levels of the atmosphere were very dry which allowed for most of the rainfall to evaporate before reaching the surface. The rapidly sinking air near thunderstorms resulted in strong to severe gusts upon impacting the ground. The intense winds also kicked up copious amounts of dust creating brief brownouts in localized areas. Furthermore, dry lightning initiated a wildfire just west of Matador. This wildfire was named the Crooked Cook Fire and burned approximately 1388 acres before being contained on the 15th. No known damage occurred from this wildfire.
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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 14, 11:17 AM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1217 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1211 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 - Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to move across portions of the Caprock and Rolling Plains this afternoon and evening. - A few storms may be severe with damaging winds up to 60 mph possible today. - Hot and breezy weather is expected through the weekend with slight chances of storms off the caprock. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday) Issued at 1211 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 Scattered thunderstorms continue to look possible this afternoon although scattered haboobs would be a better description. Water vapor imagery currently shows a weak shortwave directly overhead which will bring weak subsidence in its wake for a brief period this afternoon. A more subtle shortwave farther west will quickly approach the area later in the afternoon bringing at least some weak large scale ascent. Upper level winds will be increasing through the afternoon as an upper level jet streak at 250mb moves over Far West Texas. Overall flow through the atmospheric column will be anemic except for the upper levels which will keep any storms from becoming organized. Model soundings show an extreme inverted-V profile today with cloud bases somewhere around 10-15kft. Lapse rates in the boundary layer will become super-adiabatic this afternoon with very steep mid-level lapse rates due to some weak cooling of the mid- levels. This will allow parcels some very weak instability with forecasted CAPE values on the order of 100-300 J/kg. Isolated convection is expected to initiate in eastern New Mexico before advecting into West Texas. The first batch of convection looks to enter the area between 20 and 21Z and slowly move eastward through the late afternoon and early evening. As convection moves farther to the east, it will encounter a more harsh environment in the form of increased capping. Otherwise, temperatures this afternoon will climb into the upper 90s on the caprock and lower 100s off the caprock which will be near record values. Very hot temperatures will continue for Friday with renewed chances for isolated thunderstorms but with this convection favoring areas off the caprock. Friday will see the benefit of increased large scale ascent with a weak short wave approaching the area during the afternoon hours. The aforementioned upper level jet streak moving over Far West Texas today will increasingly affect the region tomorrow bringing upper level divergence to areas off the caprock. Forecast sounding profiles for Friday are nearly identical to today. A surface cyclone will sweep across the Texas Panhandle dragging a dryline with it into Oklahoma and North Texas. Near record temperatures will again be possible Friday afternoon with temperatures approaching heat advisory criteria off the caprock. && .LONG TERM... (Friday night through next Wednesday) Issued at 1211 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 The long term will see a typical spring like pattern involving a sloshing dryline each day through at least Monday. Long wave troughing in the western CONUS from Saturday through Monday and southwest flow aloft will give rise to surface cyclogenesis in lee of the Rockies each afternoon. The dryline will likely mix east each afternoon somewhere off the caprock leaving at least a portion of the FA within the more moist near surface air. Although large scale ascent will be lacking through this time period, the presence of the dryline will favor at least slight chances of convection each afternoon off the caprock. Model differences start to become significant around Tuesday of next week with the ejection of the western CONUS trough. A cold front can be expected next week anywhere from late Monday through Wednesday on the timing. Whenever this front does push through the area it will bring a break from the extreme heat. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1211 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 VFR conditions will prevail through the TAF period. Breezy southwesterly winds are expected through the rest of this afternoon and evening. Winds should calm down slight around midnight, however will pick back up Friday morning. Thunderstorms are possible at all three TAF sites. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected to form to the west of I-27 and shift eastward. The main threat is severe winds gusts with the high potential for downbursts with any thunderstorm. Thunderstorm chances are expected to clear the areas before midnight. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...01 LONG TERM....01 AVIATION...10
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Lubbock TX 345 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 TXZ021>044-152045- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 345 PM CDT Thu May 14 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to move across the Caprock and into the Rolling Plains this afternoon and evening. A few storms may be severe. The primary hazards will be damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. Blowing dust generated by outflow winds may result in localized reductions to visibility. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for the entire forecast area until 10 PM CDT. Elevated fire weather conditions are also expected this afternoon and evening. A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for the entire area until 9 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions will be possible every day from Friday through Monday for the entire region. Thunderstorm chances will continue for areas off the caprock from Friday through Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:23 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Levelland measured a severe wind gust of 60 mph. Additionally, local broadcast media relayed a report of a front porch blowing down in high winds.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Friona measured severe wind gusts from 1537 CST through 1542 CST. A peak wind gust of 63 mph was measured at 1537 CST. Additionally, local broadcast media relayed a report of a wooden light pole snapped at the athletic fields in Friona.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Anton measured a severe wind gust of 58 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Dimmitt measured severe wind gusts from 1608 CST through 1613 CST. A peak wind gust of 71 mph was measured at 1608 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Shallowater measured a severe wind gust of 58 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Hart measured severe wind gusts from 1642 CST through 1643 CST. A peak wind gust of 63 mph was measured at 1642 CST.
Local broadcast media relayed a report of five power poles and an outbuilding blown down.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Flomot measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Floydada measured a severe wind gust of 58 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Matador measured a severe wind gust of 59 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Childress measured a wind gust of 62 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Graham measured severe wind gusts of 58 mph from 1848 CST to 1849 CST.
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: 1324873, 1324874, 1324890, 1324876, 1324879, 1324877, 1324881, 1324884, 1324887, 1324888, 1324889, 1324897.