Thunderstorm Wind in Starr County, Texas

As part of a storm survey in and near Rio Grande City, damage was assessed at and near the Starr County/Rio Grande City Regional Airport. Based on the damage, winds were estimated at 70 mph. Damage included:

*Five large mesquite tree limbs blown down in a 100-yard diameter across the street from the airport.

*A garage door was blown in on the airport grounds, and roof panels were lifted by the wind after entering the structure. The garage was not hurricane rated; it did not have any metal/aluminum cross-beams.

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.