668
NOUS44 KBRO 090224
PNSBRO
TXZ248>255-351-353>355-451-454-455-091430-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
924 PM CDT SUN MAR 8 2026
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 03/07/2026 FOR STARR COUNTY WIND/WIND DRIVEN
HAIL AND FLASH FLOOD EVENT...
OVERVIEW
DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS ON MARCH 7, 2026, A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS, WITH WIND-DRIVEN LARGE TO VERY LARGE HAIL, CAUSED
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES ALONG THE RIO GRANDE RIVER
IN STARR COUNTY. HAIL SIZE REPORTED BY RESIDENTS GENERALLY RANGED TO
AS LARGE AS QUARTER TO GOLFBALL-SIZE, WHILE SOME EVIDENCE OF CRACKED
WINDOWS SUGGEST A FEW STONES UP TO BASEBALL-SIZE. THERE WERE NO KNOWN
INJURIES.
THUNDERSTORM WIND AND HAIL
PEAK WIND /ESTIMATED/: 65 TO 70 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 15.25 MILES
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: MARCH 7, 2026
START TIME: 1117 PM CST
START LOCATION: ROMA-HIGH SCHOOL/STARR/TX
END DATE: MARCH 7, 2026
END TIME: 1157 PM CST
END LOCATION: EAST OF RIO GRANDE CITY/STARR/TX
SURVEY SUMMARY: JUST AFTER 1115 PM CST MARCH 7, 2026, A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM, NEAR THE CITY OF ROMA, PRODUCED LARGE HAIL, WITH WIND
BEING THE DOMINANT FACTOR. WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 65 TO 70
MPH. A LARGE SIGN WAS UPROOTED NEXT TO THE ROMA HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM AND
A LARGE ELECTION SIGN, ABOUT 0.5 MILES SOUTH OF US 83, WAS BLOWN DOWN.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO EXPOSED MESQUITE TREES,
WITH MANY MEDIUM TO LARGE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN. HAIL SIZES ESTIMATES RANGED
FROM DIME TO NICKEL-SIZE, THOUGH MAY HAVE BEEN LARGER IN SOME SPOTS.
THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED AROUND 70 MPH IN/NEAR RIO GRANDE
CITY, WHERE THERE WAS SHINGLE DAMAGE ON AT LEAST 8 HOMES. WIND-DRIVEN
HAIL SHATTERED MORE THAN 100 WINDOWS WITHOUT OUTER SCREEN PROTECTION
ON MORE THAN 3 DOZEN HOMES. EAST OF RIO GRANDE CITY, ALONG US 83, A GAS
STATION CANOPY WAS LIFTED AND DROPPED AT AN ANGLE, WHICH PARTIALLY
CRUSHED A PICKUP TRUCK.
INTENSE RAINFALL RATES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM,
ESTIMATED TO BE AS HIGH AS 2.5 INCHES IN LESS THAN 45 MINUTES. AN
ADDITIONAL ESTIMATED 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN FROM LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS
CREATED SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING, CONSIDERED THE WORST THE CITY HAS
EXPERIENCED SINCE AUGUST 2008. MOST NOTABLY, UP TO 30 HOMES WERE
INUNDATED BY 6 TO 12 INCHES OF WATER. PAVEMENT WAS TORN UP ON SEVERAL
STREETS BY THE FAST-MOVING FLOODWATER. WE KNOWLEDGE THE TEXAS DIVISION
OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, STARR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND THE CITY
OF ROMA FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE DURING THE SURVEY.
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.
CACERES/IRISH/GOLDSMITH
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