Very hot temperatures and a dryline allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop on the afternoon of the 31st. Thunderstorms initially developed along this dryline from the northern Rolling Plains into the southern South Plains.
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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 and a dryline allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop on the afternoon of the 31st. Thunderstorms initially developed along this dryline from the northern Rolling Plains into the southern South Plains. The thunderstorms gradually grew upscale into a broken, slow moving line that persisted over the central Rolling Plains into the south-central South Plains through the evening hours. These slow moving thunderstorms primarily produced torrential rainfall but also large hail and damaging wind gusts. Excessive runoff from the prolonged heavy rain flooded fields and inundated area roadways. Some of the heaviest rainfall was along US Highway 87 north of Tahoka in Lynn County. Water over the roadway and a water rescue prompted the closure of the highway. Several additional vehicles became flooded out along US Highway 87. Additional flooding occurred along US Highway 380 west of Post (Garza County) and in northwestern Lubbock (Lubbock County). As storms decreased in intensity late in the evening, a couple of wake lows formed producing severe wind gusts near Slaton (Lubbock County) and Paducah (Cottle County).
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 31, 5:09 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 609 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 605 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 - Slight chance for storms across the southern South Plains and Rolling Plains later this afternoon and evening. - Daily shower and thunderstorm chances and cooler temperatures expected through the rest of the week. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Monday) Issued at 1200 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 A nice and pleasant Sunday remains on track. Current water vapor imagery indicates an upper negatively tilted trough across northwestern CONUS and upper ridging across the Gulf states. With the CWA sitting between the two upper disturbances, southwesterly flow will prevail aloft. An embedded shortwave currently sitting over northern Mexico will pass across the southern half of the CWA this afternoon. Slight thickness increases due to the upper ridging will warm temperatures this afternoon a few more degrees compared to yesterday with highs in the upper 90s to lower 100s. Surface observations show a dryline currently sitting part way through the CWA. Dewpoints of upper 20s to lower 30s are across the far southwestern Texas Panhandle and northern South Plains behind the dryline and in the 60s across the rest of the CWA ahead of the dryline. Models indicate the dryline will shift a little farther southeast into the CWA this afternoon before stalling just southeast of Lubbock. Forcing from convergence ahead of the dryline and the passing of the upper shortwave will bring shower and thunderstorm chances to southern portions of the CWA this afternoon and evening. Southwesterly flow aloft will usher in subtropical moisture to the mid and upper levels, however with soundings indicating drier lower levels, high based thunderstorms are expected. Decent instability with CAPE values up to 1700 J/kg make severe thunderstorms possible. The mains hazards expected for any severe thunderstorms is strong winds up to 70 mph and hail up to quarter size. All storms are expected to clear the region just before midnight. Once the thunderstorms pass, the rest of the overnight period is expected to be quiet with a decent gradient of low temperatures. Lows will be in the lower 50s across the far southwestern Texas Panhandle up to lower 70s over the southern Rolling Plains where clouds will linger through early Monday morning hindering radiational cooling. Another hot day is expected Monday. The aforementioned upper ridging will build west over the region keeping temperatures in the 90s to lower 100s. Early Monday afternoon, winds will shift to the southeast resulting in gulf moisture filling in on the lower levels. Despite the subsidence from the upper ridging keeping much of the region dry, showers and thunderstorms will be possible across western portions of the CWA during the late afternoon and evening with moist upslope flow. Severe thunderstorms are not expected with not much to note in terms of instability or forcing. However, a strong wind gust or two and some small hail cannot be ruled out. Any storms are expected to clear the region before midnight. && .LONG TERM... (Monday night through next Saturday) Issued at 1200 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 An upper level pattern change will bring daily storm chances and cooler temperatures for the long term forecast. Upper ridging will prevail overhead through early Tuesday before getting pushed east as an upper trough begins to develop along the coast of Baja California. At the same time, an upper low will spin over the border between Canada and Montana. Plenty of moisture is expected on all levels with southeasterly surface flow ushering in gulf moisture and southwesterly flow aloft bringing subtropical moisture to the mid and upper levels. Similar to Monday, storms are expected to develop across western portions of the CWA Tuesday afternoon due to upslope flow and expand across the rest of the region overnight. Widespread storm chances will continue through Friday. There is not much in terms of instability through the rest of the week, therefore severe thunderstorm chances are low. However, with moderate instability some isolated severe thunderstorms with the potential for large hail and strong wind gusts cannot be ruled out. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible, mainly Wednesday through Friday with the current storm total QPF ranging from 1" to just above 2". However, despite the sufficient moisture on all levels, this forecaster is not confident on over 2" of rainfall. We could see a break in precipitation by the weekend as the upper trough to the west of the region finally tracks northwest through central CONUS and low amplitude ridging fills in just south of the CWA. As for temperatures, with prolonged storms and cloud cover, we will get a reprieve from the hot temperatures by mid-week with highs in the 80s at least through Friday. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 605 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 Showers and thunderstorms are possible at KLBB through 01z. Otherwise VFR and light winds will continue at all sites. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...10 LONG TERM....10 AVIATION...19
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1127 AM CDT Sun May 31 2026 TXZ021>044-011630- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1127 AM CDT Sun May 31 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms across southern portions of the South Plains and Rolling Plains this afternoon and evening. A few storms may become severe. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Daily chances for showers and thunderstorms will persist through the week. Locally heavy rain may be possible Wednesday through Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
510 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026
TXZ036-037-312245-
Dickens TX-Crosby TX-
510 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN DICKENS AND
NORTHEASTERN CROSBY COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM CDT...
At 509 PM CDT, a pair of strong thunderstorms were located along a
line extending from 5 miles northeast of Ralls to 8 miles southwest
of Mcadoo. Movement was east-northeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel 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...
Crosbyton, Dickens, Afton, and Mcadoo.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3383 10122 3383 10070 3358 10074 3355 10111
3373 10137
TIME...MOT...LOC 2209Z 256DEG 19KT 3371 10130 3362 10107
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
MCZThe Lubbock radar (KLBB), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:43 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 high wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
An NWS cooperative weather observer and local broadcast media relayed a report of quarter size hail at White River Lake.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Post measured wind gusts to 59 mph from 1748 CST through 1749 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Hackberry measured a severe wind gust of 66 mph.
Thunderstorms continuously grew upscale along US Highway 380 in Garza County west of Post. On the evening of the 31st, law enforcement in Garza County reported flooding along US Highway 380 near Farm to Market Road 399. An NWS storm survey revealed portions of area roadways previously had water running over them as evidenced by mud on the road.
A thunderstorm continuously trained over portions of Lynn County north of Tahoka creating torrential rainfall. An emergency management official with Lynn County reported that US Highway 87 was being closed due to water over the roadway and that a water rescue had to be performed. An NWS storm survey the next day revealed that water had previously been over the road. A number of vehicles were still stranded on the side of the road in standing water the next day.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Reese measured 58 mph wind gusts from 2125 CST through 2126 CST.
Heavy rain over the northwestern portion of the city of Lubbock to Reese caused flash flooding on city streets. An NWS employee reported that at least two vehicles were stalled out near Frankord Avenue and Erskine Avenue.
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: 1330613, 1330615, 1330616, 1330776, 1330777, 1330617, 1330620, 1330778, 1330624.