Significant Weather, 1990s
Oct. 15–19, 1994: Extreme amounts of rainfall, up to 28.90 inches over a 4-day period, fell throughout southeastern part of the state. Seventeen lives were lost, most of them victims of flash flooding. Many rivers reached record flood levels. Houston was cut off from many other parts of the state, as numerous roads, including Interstate 10, were under water. Damage was estimated to be near $700 million; 26 counties were declared disaster areas.
May 5, 1995: A thunderstorm moved across the Dallas/Fort Worth area with 70 mph wind gusts and rainfall rates of almost three inches in 30 minutes (five inches in one hour). Twenty people lost their lives as a result of this storm, 109 people were injured by large hail and, with more than $2 billion in damage, NOAA dubbed it the “costliest thunderstorm event in history.”
May 28, 1995: A supercell thunderstorm produced extreme winds and giant hail in San Angelo, injuring at least 80 people and causing about $120 million in damage. Sixty-one homes were destroyed, and more than 9,000 were slightly damaged. In some areas, hail was six inches deep, with drifts to two feet.
Feb. 21, 1996: Anomalously high temperatures were reported over the entire state, breaking records in nearly every region of the state. Temperatures near 100°F shattered previous records by as many as 10°F as Texans experienced heat more characteristic of mid-summer than winter.
May 10, 1996: Hail up to five inches in diameter fell in Howard County, causing injuries to 48 people and $30 million worth of property damage.
May 27, 1997: Tornado. Jarrell. A half-mile-wide F-5 tornado struck Jarrell, Williamson County, leveling the Double Creek subdisivion, claiming 27 lives, injuring 12 others, and causing more than $40 million in damage.
March–May, 1998: According to the Climate Prediction Center, this three-month period ranks as the seventh driest for a region including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. May 1998 was ranked as both the warmest and the driest May in this region, up to that time.
Aug. 22–25, 1998: Tropical Storm Charley brought torrential rains and flash floods to the Hill Country. Thirteen people lost their lives and more than 200 were injured.
Oct. 17–19, 1998: Rainstorm. Hill Country. A massive, devastating flood set all-time records for rainfall and river levels, resulted in the deaths of 25 people, injured more than 2,000 others, and caused more than $500 million damage from the Hill Country to the counties south and east of San Antonio.
Jan. 22, 1999: Hail. Brazos County. Golf ball- and softball-sized hail fell in the Bryan-College Station area, resulting in $10 million in damage to cars, homes and offices.
May 1999: Storms, Tornadoes. East, Central, West Texas. Numerous severe weather outbreaks caused damaging winds, large hail, dangerous lightning, and numerous tornadoes. An F-3 tornado moved through downtown area and high school of De Kalb, Bowie County, on the 4th, injuring 22 people and causing $125 million in damage to the community. On the same day, two F-2 tornadoes roared through Kilgore simultaneously. On the 11th, an F-4 tornado moved through parts of Loyal Valley, Mason County, and Castell, Llano County, taking the life of one and injuring six. The 25th saw storms produce 2.5-inch hail in Levelland and Amarillo. The total cost of damages caused by May storms was more than $157 million.
August 1999: Excessive heat throughout the month resulted in 16 fatalities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The airport reported 26 consecutive days of 100°F or greater temperatures.