Zapata County, TX hail & severe wind history
37 storm reports on file for Zapata County between 2011-05-15 and 2025-05-07 — 21 hail and 16 severe thunderstorm wind. That averages 2.5 reports a year, and May is the busiest month.
Hail reports
21
1.4 per year
Largest hail
4.5"
softball size · 2025-05-07
Strongest gust
75 mph
65 kt · 2020-05-25
Reported damage
$401K
property + crop, as filed
Storm days
27
distinct days with a report
Busiest year
2012
8 reports
Search every Zapata County report
Filter the full record below — pick a year, narrow to a month, or drag the hail-size slider to see only the storms big enough to dent a roof (1" and up is the usual threshold insurers care about).
37 of 37 reports match.
Reports by month for the current filter — the shape of Zapata County’s storm season.
| Date | Type | Size / gust | Nearest location | Report detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-07 01:23 | Hail | 4.5" softball | .93 mi SE of San Ygnacio | Zapata County Sheriff's office state that the public reported golf ball to softball size hail iin the city of San Ygnacio. The hail derived from a supercell thunderstorm that moved east from the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in northern Mexico. As of this writing, no damage was reported - though the… |
| 2024-05-28 21:00 | Wind | 50 kt 58 mph | 13.94 mi N of San Ygnacio | An Emergency Management Coordinator reported a downed powerline along U.S. highway 83 near the Zapata/Webb County line. |
| 2024-05-13 16:50 | Hail | 2.75" baseball | 1.23 mi E of San Ygnacio | Baseball size hail was reported in San Ygnacio, related by the Zapata County Sheriff's office. |
| 2023-04-28 21:05 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | 4.33 mi NNW of Lopeno | Zapata County Sheriff's Office reported a car swerving off the road in Morales-Sanchez due to hail the size of golf balls. |
| 2022-05-23 19:20 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.96 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | The Zapata County Fire Department reported hail the size of a quarter, or 1.0, in Zapata at 8:20PM CDT. |
| 2022-05-22 10:43 | Hail | 0.75" penny | 2.25 mi SE of Zapata Arpt | Hail the size of a penny, or 0.75, was reported by the Zapata County Emergency Manager near the Siesta Shores Subdivision at 11:43AM CDT. Law enforcement reported hail the size of nickels, or 0.88, at the Falcon Lake Estates subdivision at 11:49AM CDT. |
| 2021-05-11 21:00 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 1.41 mi ESE of Zapata Arpt | More than two dozen structures sustained varying damage to|poorly constructed wood, asphalt, and aluminum/tin roofs,|roof decking, and shingles in the Siesta Shores and Falcon|Heights neighborhoods in south Zapata, Texas. A poorly seated|cinder block knee wall and attached fence was blown down, and|a 100-foot tall thi… |
| 2020-05-25 23:35 | Wind | 65 kt 75 mph | 2.81 mi N of Zapata Arpt | A rapidly developing severe thunderstorm crossed the Rio Grande into Zapata County shortly after midnight on May 26. The storm produced damaging straight line winds across much of the city of Zapata, including portions of Medina Addition to the east and Sierra Shores to the south. Widespread damage was surveyed across… |
| 2020-05-21 06:52 | Wind | 55 kt 63 mph | 1.41 mi ENE of San Ygnacio | At least 3 power poles broken 1 mile north of San Ygnacio on US-83 and some tree damage reported in the town of San Ygnacio. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2020-04-28 20:40 | Wind | 48 kt 55 mph | 2.05 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | The Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, along with the public, reported several instances of minor wind damage in Zapata and Siesta Shores just to the south during the mid evening of April 28, 2020. Damage included several felled limbs of mesquite trees in Zapata City park, a poorly constructed awning blown down… |
| 2019-08-24 16:09 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 2.63 mi N of Zapata Arpt | Zapata County authorities and the Zapata County News (via the Emergency Management Coordinator) reported several instances of minor damage from a microburst during the late afternoon of August 24. In Falcon Heights (2 miles south-southeast of Zapata City), two anchored deer blinds were blown onto U.S. 83 from a nearby… |
| 2019-05-09 20:40 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 5 mi NNE of San Ygnacio | The Zapata County Sheriff's Office reported estimated nickel-sized hail, wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph, and low visibility from heavy rainfall along US Highway 83 about 5 miles north-northeast of San Ygnacio. |
| 2017-05-21 16:55 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | 4.36 mi NNE of San Ygnacio | Employee at Pepe's Grocery Store in San Ygnacio relayed customer report of hail the size of golf balls 5 miles NNE of San Ygnacio. |
| 2017-05-21 17:11 | Hail | 1" quarter | 0 mi N of Zapata | Public reported via social media quarter size hail in the city of Zapata. |
| 2016-04-20 20:02 | Hail | 1" quarter | 0 mi N of Zapata Arpt | Zapata County Sheriff���s Office reported quarter sized hail near the Zapata County Airport. |
| 2016-04-20 20:31 | Hail | 0.88" nickel | 1.77 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Public reported nickel sized hail at the Family Dollar Store in Zapata. |
| 2016-04-20 20:34 | Hail | 1" quarter | 0 mi N of Zapata | Zapata County Sheriff's Office relayed several reports of nickel to quarter sized hail falling across the city of Zapata. |
| 2015-05-21 07:30 | Wind | 44 kt 51 mph | 0 mi N of Zapata | Zapata County Sheriffs Office reported a trampoline blown on top of power lines in Zapata. 40 mph gust reported at Zapata County Airport (Medina), approximately 6 miles north of the damage location. Event wind speed estimated based on proximity and no other corroborating damage. |
| 2015-04-18 20:22 | Hail | 1" quarter | 5.4 mi E of Falcon Res North | Zapata County Sheriffs Office reported quarter size hail near the city of Zapata. |
| 2015-04-12 20:17 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 2.85 mi N of Zapata Arpt | Dozens of limbs, trees, and powerlines were reported down across the city of Zapata. |
| 2014-11-22 17:10 | Hail | 1.5" ping pong | 0 mi N of Zapata | Zapata County EM reported hail to around ping pong ball size. |
| 2014-11-22 17:10 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 2.02 mi WNW of Zapata | Zapata County EM reported several older houses had roofs partially removed, several metal buildings and trailers had roofs totally removed, a chain link fence was blow down, numerous trees and power lines were blown down through the city, and a large object blew off a construction site at the courthouse and damaged ne… |
| 2014-05-09 17:34 | Wind | 52 kt 60 mph | 2.21 mi N of Zapata Arpt | Local law enforcement reported the roof of a bakery partially removed and blown onto Highway 83 in Zapata. |
| 2013-09-02 19:28 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.46 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Public reported quarter size hail at the intersection of Lincoln and 5th in downtown Zapata. Also reported winds of 65 mph (estimated). |
| 2013-07-27 16:16 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .82 mi ESE of San Ygnacio | Estimated downburst winds of around 65 mph damaged the roofs of homes and a small business, snapped tree limbs, and blew over a number of trailers at the San Ygnacio RV park. |
| 2013-02-05 23:08 | Hail | 1" quarter | 4.9 mi SE of San Ygnacio | Zapata County sheriff's office reported quarter size hail fell in the community of Ramireno. |
| 2013-02-05 23:12 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | 4.73 mi NNW of Zapata | Trained Skywarn spotter reported golf ball size hail at the Zapata County Airport. |
| 2012-05-10 22:15 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.44 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Penny to quarter sized hail was reported at two locations in the City of Zapata between 1115 and 1125 PM local daylight time as severe thunderstorms marched across the area. The first report was an unknown location; the second was at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Lincoln Street. |
| 2012-05-10 22:17 | Wind | 61 kt 70 mph | 1.46 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Trained spotter estimated wind gusts of 65 to 70 mph in downtown Zapata at the intersection of 5th and Lincoln Street. Initial report time was 1122 PM CDT; final time range estimated by radar. |
| 2012-05-08 11:00 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | .82 mi SE of San Ygnacio | Zapata County emergency manager reported thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph occurred in San Ygnacio. Three to four homes were reported to have roof damage and one mobile home was destroyed. |
| 2012-05-08 11:35 | Wind | 54 kt 62 mph | 1.41 mi ENE of Zapata Arpt | AWOS at Zapata reported a 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust. |
| 2012-05-08 14:20 | Hail | 1" quarter | 1.46 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Public reported quarter size hail at the intersection of Lincoln and 5th Street. |
| 2012-05-08 14:25 | Wind | 56 kt 64 mph | 1.46 mi NNE of Zapata Arpt | Public reported estimated wind gust of 60 to 65 mph at Lincoln and 5th Street. |
| 2012-04-15 19:40 | Hail | 1" quarter | 2.76 mi S of Zapata | Quarter sized hail reported by trained storm spotter in Zapata. |
| 2012-04-15 20:05 | Hail | 1.75" golf ball | 3.67 mi NNW of Lopeno | Golf ball size hail reported by the public in Morales-Sanchez community. |
| 2011-09-29 16:40 | Wind | 43 kt 49 mph | 61.21 mi W of Tacubaya | An off duty inspector for Zapata County reported, and photographed, wind damage to an under construction foam building in Zapata after a vigorous outflow boundary/gust front crossed the area during the late afternoon of September 29th. Winds at nearby Zapata County Airport (Medina) were clocked at 44 mph 5 minutes ear… |
| 2011-05-15 09:44 | Hail | 1" quarter | 2.07 mi N of Zapata Arpt | The Zapata County Sheriff department reported hail up to one inch but predominately dime to nickel size fell during a thunderstorm which moved across the City of Zapata between 10:44 and 10:51 AM CDT. The Fire Department (EOC) reported penny size hail during the same period, as did a trained storm spotter. |
Worst storm days in Zapata County
| Date | Reports that day | Largest hail | Peak gust |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-08 | 4 | 1" (quarter) | 64 mph |
| 2016-04-20 | 3 | 1" (quarter) | — |
| 2017-05-21 | 2 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
| 2013-02-05 | 2 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
| 2012-04-15 | 2 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
| 2014-11-22 | 2 | 1.5" (ping pong ball) | 70 mph |
| 2012-05-10 | 2 | 1" (quarter) | 70 mph |
| 2025-05-07 | 1 | 4.5" (softball) | — |
| 2024-05-13 | 1 | 2.75" (baseball) | — |
| 2023-04-28 | 1 | 1.75" (golf ball) | — |
Reports by year
Report counts are driven partly by how many people were around to report a storm, so recent years tend to look busier than the early 2010s. Treat the trend as a reporting trend, not purely a weather trend.
Notable large-hail events (2" and up)
| Date | Size | Near | What was reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-07 | 4.5" softball | .93 mi SE of San Ygnacio | Zapata County Sheriff's office state that the public reported golf ball to softball size hail iin the city of San Ygnacio. The hail derived from a supercell thunderstorm that moved east from the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in northern Mexico. As of this writing, no damage was reported - though the… |
| 2024-05-13 | 2.75" baseball | 1.23 mi E of San Ygnacio | Baseball size hail was reported in San Ygnacio, related by the Zapata County Sheriff's office. |
When does hail hit Zapata County?
Across 14 years of records, May produced the most reports (20), followed by the months either side of it. Monthly totals:
| Month | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0.0% |
| February | 2 | 5.4% |
| March | 0 | 0.0% |
| April | 9 | 24.3% |
| May | 20 | 54.1% |
| June | 0 | 0.0% |
| July | 1 | 2.7% |
| August | 1 | 2.7% |
| September | 2 | 5.4% |
| October | 0 | 0.0% |
| November | 2 | 5.4% |
| December | 0 | 0.0% |
Nearby counties in Texas
Tarrant County (1,073)Denton County (749)Dallas County (597)Collin County (561)Randall County (535)Potter County (510)Bexar County (497)Tom Green County (489)Harris County (444)Wichita County (407)Grayson County (401)Smith County (384)
About these numbers
Every row above is a report filed with the National Weather Service and archived in the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (FIPS 48505). Reports are eyewitness, trained-spotter and damage-survey observations, so they cluster near roads and towns and miss storms over empty country. Hail sizes are estimates. Damage figures are preliminary as filed and are never revised in this archive. Use this page for background, not for an insurance claim, a legal filing, or a roof assessment — for those, get the official record from NOAA directly.