Thunderstorm Wind in Young County, Texas

Just after 1730 CDT, a thunderstorm developed rapidly on the Palo Pinto/Parker County line ahead of an intense squall line over the western part of north Texas. This storm quickly became severe, producing hail up to golf ball-size 18 inches deep across southern parts of Parker County, and flash flooding resulting in two deaths. The storm continued to intensify as it moved into Tarrant County around 1900 CDT, producing baseball-size hail in Benbrook. As the storm moved east-northeast across Fort Worth, softball-size hail was reported at many locations. At Mayfest, a large outdoor festival located at Trinity Park in Fort Worth, an estimated 10,000 people were caught in the open with little available shelter. Hail up to softball-size injured many people. The storm continued moving east-northeast across Tarrant County producing large hail, wind damage, and flash flooding producing rainfall, with one flash flood death. At 1948 CDT, as the storm began moving into Dallas County, the squall line that was to the west merged with the severe thunderstorm. This merger resulted in record rainfall and massive flash flooding the remainder of the night across Dallas County, with 17 people drowned and many stranded by high water. Total estimated damage across Parker, Tarrant, and Dallas counties, from this storm, is estimated at over $1.2 billion, the costliest thunderstorm event in the history of the United States.