Thunderstorm Wind in Starr County, Texas

An NWS Storm Survey conducted on March 8th found a track of wind damage from Roma High School to the east side of the city neighborhood grid. Average wind speed for all damage points was estimated at 65 mph, though the surveyed swath suggested 60 to 70 mph in the area. Damage included the following:

* Temporary fencing and benches blown down, field goal posts bent, and a sign adjacent to the baseball field bent of out the ground at Roma High School.

*Large wooden pole holding an election billboard ripped out of the ground across from the school.

*Several medium to large branches of healthy mesquite trees blown down in City of Roma neighborhoods.

*Electrical pole leaning at a 30 degree angle in the City of Roma.

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.