A tornadic supercell developed near or along the Kenedy/Kleberg County line during the evening of May 20, 2026. The storm tracked southeastward through Kenedy County before weakening just offshore Kenedy County that evening.
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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.
A tornadic supercell developed near or along the Kenedy/Kleberg County line during the evening of May 20, 2026. The storm tracked southeastward through Kenedy County before weakening just offshore Kenedy County that evening. A large hail and a very high wind gust (possible tornado) was reported as the supercell moved southeast and crossed Laguna Madre toward the nearshore Gulf waters.
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 22, 12:03 PM CST, 4 hours 27 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
103 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1248 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
Key Messages:
* Isolated showers and thunderstorms could impact the Western
Ranchlands this evening as convection fires off the Sierra
Madre.
* A Flood Watch is in effect until Monday morning. There is a
chance of isolated to scattered flash flooding in areas that
receive heavier rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.
* Warm and humid conditions are expected through next weekend
with Minor (level 1 of 4) and Moderate (level 2 of 4) Heat
Risks expected to impact the area.
* A moderate risk of rip currents continues through Saturday afternoon.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1248 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
A deeply moist atmospheric profile remains in place throughout the
weekend, due to a combination of ample Gulf surface moisture and
Pacific moisture aloft, which is being carried into Deep South Texas
across Mexico due to persistent westerly 500 mb flow. Resultantly,
abnormally high PWAT values (between 1.6 and 2.2 inches) are
expected over the region, with the highest values being observed on
Saturday. Shortwave activity is also expected over the next few
days, which will make the atmosphere unsettled and prone for
convection to form. Since the atmospheric profile is so moist,
convection that forms this weekend will be persistent and efficient
rainmakers, which could result in high precipitation amounts and
possibly isolated to scattered flash flooding across portions of
Deep South Texas. A Flood Watch is in effect until Monday morning.
The remainder of the afternoon today is expected to be relatively
dry and rain free, but convection is expected to form off the Sierra
Madres after sunset which could bring a few showers and
thunderstorms to the western portion of the CWA during the evening
hours. Overall, PoPs are expected to remain relatively low overnight
(less then 30 percent), before increasing to 50 to 70 percent
tomorrow, as more widespread convection is expected to form with the
main shortwave disturbance. The higher PoPs will shift to the
eastern counties on Sunday as the main disturbance moves slightly to
the east.
The Weather Prediction Center currently has all of Deep South Texas
in a Slight Risk (level 2 of 4) for excessive rainfall on Saturday,
and the Coastal Counties under a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 4) for
Sunday. Current probabilistic guidance for Saturday indicates a 15
to 25% risk that rainfall could exceed flash flood guidance. While
areas further north (closer to Corpus and Houston) are expected to
receive the heaviest rainfall, given these probabilities, it is
therefore possible that Saturday's excessive rainfall risk could
trend upward if guidance can agree better on where the areas of
heaviest precipitation will occur, or if the heaviest expected rainfall
trends more southward.
Most of the rain received this weekend is expected to be beneficial.
It is most likely that the majority of areas will receive between
0.5-1.5 inches between now and Monday morning. However, it is
possible that some localized areas could receive up to 6 inches
where locally heavy rainfall occurs. Areas that will be prone to
isolated flash flooding are places where an excess of rain falls
over a short period of time (2- 3 inches an hour), or if training
showers and storms happen to form, with several showers going over
a single area in succession. Right now, the highest precip totals
and therefore highest chances of excessive rainfall are expected
over the eastern portion of the Northern Ranchlands. However,
isolated to scattered flash flooding could still happen anywhere
in Deep South Texas and it would be difficult to pinpoint
precisely where isolated flash flooding will occur, as shower
development will be scattered and random. Therefore, all flood-
prone areas should be prepared for the possibility this weekend,
despite most areas only expected to actually receive beneficial
rain.
Low rain chances continue into Monday as the atmosphere remains
somewhat disturbed, with the main chances (20-30%) in the Western
Ranchlands as more Sierra Madre convection is expected to form.
Conditions dry out Tuesday, but moderate rain chances (30-60%)
return for Wednesday and linger (20-30%) for Thursday before
becoming dry again for next weekend. Temperatures will remain warm
and humid through the next week, with Mild (level 1 of 4) and
Moderate (level 2 of 4) Heat Risks throughout the week.
In addition, a moderate risk of life-threatening rip currents are
expected to impact area beaches through at least Saturday
afternoon.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1248 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
VFR conditions are expected at all airports with light to moderate
southeasterly winds. Overcast conditions are expected to develop
this evening, and there is a small possibility that MVFR conditions
could briefly develop tonight, but confidence was not high enough to
include it in the TAF product.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1248 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
Favorable conditions are expected this weekend into next week with
light to moderate southeasterly winds and low (2 to 4 feet) wave
heights. Conditions could briefly deteriorate in the immediate
vicinity of any showers and thunderstorms that form offshore,
particularly over the weekend.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE 79 91 77 90 / 10 50 60 70
HARLINGEN 76 90 74 90 / 10 60 70 70
MCALLEN 77 91 75 91 / 20 70 70 50
RIO GRANDE CITY 75 90 73 91 / 30 50 60 30
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 80 85 79 84 / 20 40 60 60
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 78 89 76 89 / 10 50 60 70
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Flood Watch through Monday morning for TXZ248>255-351-353>355-
451-454-455.
GM...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...55-MM
LONG TERM....55-MM
AVIATION...55-MMSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
508 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
TXZ250-251-351-222300-
Brooks TX-Coastal Kenedy TX-Inland Kenedy TX-
508 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN KENEDY AND
NORTHEASTERN BROOKS COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM CDT...
At 507 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Sarita, moving north at 5 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Sarita, Kenedy County Wind Farms, and Kenedy County Sheriffs Office.
This includes US Highway 77 between mile markers 710 and 724.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
This storm 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.
&&
LAT...LON 2726 9773 2728 9765 2724 9763 2724 9759
2700 9752 2711 9811 2726 9801 2726 9799
2721 9799 2721 9797 2723 9795 2724 9792
2724 9789 2725 9785 2725 9782 2727 9782
2728 9779 2728 9776
TIME...MOT...LOC 2207Z 190DEG 6KT 2721 9782
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
23-ATEThe Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A quarter inch hail was reported by the public in Sarita, TX. The report was from a photo posted onto our NWSChat 2.0/Slack page. Time radar estimated.
The Texas Coastal Oceanic Observation System platform at Rincon del San Jose, within Laguna Madre about one-third north of the Willacy/Kenedy County line, recorded a peak gust to 93 mph (80.86 knots) at 730 PM CDT. This location is used as a proxy to the nearby land mass in Coastal Kenedy County, and based on the intensity of the supercell, it is certain that similar wind gusts occurred at this location. It is possible that the event produced a tornado - but lack of ground truth observations or a survey (in a very remote area accessible only by water craft) as well as the duration of the strong and shifting winds (nearly 20 minutes), as well as no sharply lowered surface pressure, suggest a rear-flank downburst as the strongest winds were from the north/northeast.
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: 1344105, 1344511.