Hail in Starr County, Texas

Initial reports from law enforcement and other local sources were confirmed by an NWS survey, which discovered hailstones ranging from 1 (quarter) to 2.75 (baseball) sized in and around the area surveyed for wind-driven hail damage. Video/photo evidence provided by residence along the survey route confirmed the varied sizes of hail, which covered the ground and piled up briefly on north sides of impacted homes.

At least one SUV, and several windows, had hail imprints that ranged from 1 to 2.75 diameter. Note that damage value estimates from the wind-driven hail are provided in the thunderstorm wind event in this episode.

A supercell thunderstorm developed just off the plateau of the Sierra Madre and moved along the Rio Grande along the Zapata/Starr Countyline before moving into and across southern Starr County between 1126 PM March 7 and 1204 AM CST March 8. This severe thunderstorm went on to produce a persistent wet microburst, which produced wind-driven large hail damage and wind damage near and around Rio Grande City and Roma. Three people were injured in their car after a gas station canopy collapsed onto their vehicle in east Rio Grande City.

A second wave of heavy rainfall moved along the Rio Grande between Roma and Rio Grande City between midnight and 2 AM, pushing already filled culverts and arroyos over their limits and produced a significant flash flood in Roma early on March 8th.