Lightning in Cameron County, Texas

Lightning May 16, 2020 · Cameron County, Texas

$7.0M

Damage as recorded

Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Lightning strike resulted in a structure fire at Gulfport Condominiums on South Padre Island. The fire was reported around 7 AM CDT. Time of strike was estimated by radar.

The wider storm

On May 16th, a shortwave trough moved eastward across Texas providing an opportunity for thunderstorms to develop in a very unstable and moist environment. Several convective boundaries were in play, but the main event revolved around the line of storms that bowed out and produced strong winds and frequent lightning. One early morning lightning strike burned down a large portion of a condominium complex on South Padre Island, leaving several million dollars in damage behind.

Began near Port Isabel (26.0800, -97.1600).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 898021. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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