Texas Ravaged by Baseball-sized HAIL AND TORNADOES: Over a Million Without Power
Severe weather raced across parts of Texas again over the weekend, causing damage and casualties as severe thunderstorms dropped hail the size of an energy drink can and tornadoes.
This was just the latest round of extreme weather to hit multiple areas in the Lone Star State, including a deadly derecho that ripped through Houston last month, heavy rain that caused devastating flooding, and the deadliest tornado Texas has seen since 2015.
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has received multiple storm reports from Texas following the severe weather that struck over the weekend, but arguably the most stunning report came from Swisher County, south of Amarillo, detailing the hail that landed there.
According to a source, 6-inch hail hit northwest of Mackenzie Reservoir, near Vigo Park. According to the SPC, the hail “appeared to be as long as a 16 oz Monster Nitro energy drink can.”
And, while that report is incredible, it does not break the record for the biggest hailstone in Texas history. That prize goes to hail that was 6.4 inches in diameter that fell in April 2021 in Hondo, Texas, west of San Antonio.
Other communities reported significant hail, including Brisco County with 4.5-inch and 3-inch hail. While many areas were hit by massive hailstorms over the weekend, others were removing damage and debris from possible tornadoes, including one that injured a US Border Patrol agent along the US-Mexico border.
According to Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, emergency workers responded to Sanderson following a possible tornado on Sunday. In a Facebook post, Cleveland stated that a US Border Patrol agent was hurt when his residence was directly impacted by the storm.
He stated that everyone has been accounted for, and all highways have been cleaned of debris.