413:
storm ranged between 1.75–4.5 in (4.5–11.5 cm), and at one point the hail covered a region over 3 mi (5 km) wide. At one location in southern Parker County, the hail accumulated to a depth of 18 in (460 mm). The first region of hail produced by the storm – encompassing a swath 40 mi (64 km) long – included hail sizes ranging from 2.5–4.5 in (6.5–11.5 cm) and was accompanied by wind gusts topping 55 mph (90 km/h). The second hail swath – encompassing a swath 10 mi (16 km) long – was associated with hail sizes exceeding 2.25 in (6 cm) carried by winds nearing 90 mph (145 km/h). The large hail led to the hospitalizations of 60 people, with 4 critically injured. Winds were in excess of 65 mph (100 km/h). The subsequent flash flood killed 17 people. There were 20 fatalities overall.
449:, where at least 380 homes sustained hail damage. Over 10,000 people were attending the Fort Worth Mayfest when the storm hit, resulting in over 400 injuries, 60 hospitalizations, and 4 critical injuries. Hospitals ultimately treated injuries for 109 people. There was little shelter available to festival attendees to avoid being struck by softball-sized hail, with many of the injuries resulting from parents shielding their children. While most people sought shelter in their cars, car windows were shattered by the hail. Injuries to the attendees included bruises and broken arms and legs. Windows and skylights in downtown Fort Worth were destroyed by the hail, including the skylights on the Fort Worth City Hall. The wind-driven hail also destroyed some homes and buildings. Hail accumulated on some Fort Worth roads to a depth of 2 ft (0.6 m).
398:
29:
461:; another 93 homes were damaged. Significant damage was inflicted upon 57 businesses and public schools incurred $ 375,000 in damage. A majority of the 16 flood deaths in Dallas were due to cars attempting to cross floodwaters. Within Dallas County, two people were killed by lightning. Heavy rainfall caused the collapse of the roof of a
453:
8.39 in/hr (231 mm/hr) over a 5-minute interval, 8.27 in/hr (210 mm/hr) over a 15-minute interval, and 4.53 in/hr (115 mm/hr) over a 60-minute interval; these values were respectively 87%, 110%, and 115% the 100-year rainfall rates in Dallas for the associated time intervals. The highest rainfall totals occurred near
416:
The extreme rainfall that followed the hailstorm caused caused flooding in areas not considered flood-prone. The floods killed 16 people in Dallas County and 1 person in
Tarrant County. Over 350 cars were damaged by the severe weather, including the hailstorm and the subsequent flood. The
436:
area, coating roads in a layer of ice and resulting in car accidents. In some locations, the aggregation of hail produced hail drifts measuring 3 ft (0.91 m) deep. Heavy rainfall led to flash flooding, inundating several roads. Two people were killed in Parker County by the flooding. The
412:
in U.S. history. Total economic damage was near $ 2 billion, eclipsing the $ 500 million damage toll set by the previous costliest hailstorm. The
Insurance Council of Texas assessed that insured losses inflicted by the storm amounted to $ 1.1 billion. Hail sizes associated with the
388:
in northern and central Dallas through 9:40 p.m. CST; between 7:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., the forward speed of the storms decreased from 20 mph (30 km/h) to under 10 mph (15 km/h). Rainfall rates in northern Dallas neared 9 in (23 cm) per hour, with rain
452:
Although the total amount of rainfall produced by the storm was not extreme, with accumulations less than 5 in (125 cm), the combination of high rainfall rates and an urban setting led to unprecedented flooding. Peak rainfall rates measured by rain gauges in the Dallas area included
203: – a local outdoor festival – pelting the roughly 10,000 people in attendance with softball-sized hail and resulting in over 60 hospitalizations. Though there were no hail-related fatalities, the combination of the slow-moving
275:
and
Southwestern Texas in tandem with another trough. The front was farther north than predicted on the afternoon of May 5 and ultimately stalled just south of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex as the associated warm air butted against cool air associated with a
375:
on the storm at 7:06 p.m. CST for
Tarrant County, though no tornadoes were ultimately reported. A second mesocyclone developed as the storm moved over downtown Fort Worth, producing a second swath of large hail stretching from southern Fort Worth to
190:
on May 5, 1995. It was the first singular thunderstorm with a damage toll exceeding $ 1 billion and at the time the costliest nontornadic thunderstorm in U.S. history. Hail up to 4.5 in (11.5 cm) in diameter fell across
266:
Despite the model projections and weather forecasts, the warm front moved north faster than anticipated on May 5. This unexpected frontal progression was prompted by the arrival of a strong portion of a
440:
Hail, water, or wind-related damage was inflicted on 257 businesses in
Tarrant County. Wind gusts exceeding 70 mph (115 km/h) were also reported in the county. Baseball-sized hail fell in
384:
and ultimately merged with the approaching squall line to the west at around 7:30 p.m. CST. The combined complex of storms slowed as a result of the merger, leading to extensive
964:
389:
gauge observations recording rates nearly three times heavier than that estimated by weather radar. Rainfall amounts neared 2.25 in (57 mm) in 15 minutes.
315:. This cluster of thunderstorms moved east towards the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The intersection of this squall line and the warm front led to the development of a
636:
239:
utilizing the concurrent weather conditions projected that the front would slowly recede northward over the course of May 5 in response to an approaching
944:
499:
256:
397:
469:, killing two people and injuring twelve. A hundred people were trapped by the fallen debris following the collapse. The downtown headquarters of the
296:. In response, the local NWS office began issuing forecasts highlighting the potential high wind and large hail for the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
477:
289:
489:
454:
828:
355:
associated with these radar features continued to produce a swath of large hail extending from southern Parker County into central
228:
187:
157:
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counties, producing hail drifts as deep as 3 ft (0.91 m) and damaging numerous buildings. The storm also struck the
880:
651:
324:
236:
340:
277:
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formed roughly 40 mi (65 km) east of the squall line. The storm quickly developed near the border between
320:
954:
924:
907:
723:"NDVI Analysis of Hail Swaths Associated with the 5 May 1995 Parker County and Tarrant County, Texas, Hailstorm"
550:
533:
470:
348:
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would move north but remain well south of the metropolitan area. This depiction suggested that the associated
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were flooded during the storm; at 10:20 p.m., the department was unable to answer 201 calls.
335:
and acquired supercell characteristics as it tracked across Parker County. At 5:48 p.m. CST, the
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37:
28:
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on weather radar imagery. Hail began to fall from the storm by around 6:17 p.m. CST. The
232:
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694:
545:
377:
505:
462:
442:
372:
272:
596:
Calianese, Edward J.; Jordan, Jason K.; Curran, E. Brian; Moller, Alan R. (August 2002).
437:
NWS estimated that the total cost of damage in Parker County reached $ 20 million.
433:
385:
260:
208:
650:(5). Asheville, North Carolina: National Climatic Data Center: 205–208. Archived from
343:
for Parker County. As the storm moved into southeastern Parker County, it exhibited a
938:
212:
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was moved on-site to outdoor events for weather information and emergency support.
446:
251:
potential for the region would peak after midnight on May 6. Accordingly, the
248:
36:
radar image of the hailstorm at 6:56 p.m. CST, 14 minutes before striking the
698:
532:
Smith, James A.; Baeck, Mary Lynn; Zhang, Yu; Doswell, Charles A. (October 2001).
508: – the first tropical cyclone to cause more than US$ 1 billion in damage
597:
352:
300:
64:
858:
312:
268:
244:
224:
60:
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on May 5 would be localized around the distant warm front to the south.
344:
204:
183:
599:
The
Mayfest High-Precipitation Supercell of 5 May 1995 – A Case Study
304:
285:
281:
766:
457:. Flooding in Dallas destroyed 4 single-family homes and 166
227:
had become stationary roughly 100 mi (160 km/h) south of the
316:
33:
207:
that produced the hail and a larger complex of storms led to deadly
418:
396:
308:
794:"20 years after Mayfest hailstorm, grand weather greets festival"
371: – at around 7:10 p.m. CST. The NWS issued a
773:. Fort Worth, Texas: National Weather Service Fort Worth, Texas
908:"Rainfall Estimation by the WSR-88D for Heavy Rainfall Events"
605:. 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms. San Antonio, Texas.
429:, at least 84,000 homes were impacted by power outages.
367: – an outdoor festival along the banks of the
534:"Extreme Rainfall and Flooding from Supercell Thunderstorms"
425:
diverted into a hangar ahead of the hailstorm. According to
925:
10.1175/1520-0434(1998)013<0416:REBTWF>2.0.CO;2
551:
10.1175/1525-7541(2001)002<0469:ERAFFS>2.0.CO;2
408:
The hailstorm was at the time the costliest non-tornadic
215:
area. Overall, 20 people were killed by the storms.
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storms disrupted air and street traffic, as well as
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56:
881:"Storm in Texas Kills 13; More Than 100 Are Hurt"
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476:Following the Mayfest storm, the Tarrant County
445:. Around $ 4 million in damage occurred in
918:(2). American Meteorological Society: 416–436.
906:Baeck, Mary Lynn; Smith, James A. (June 1998).
829:"Hundreds injured as rain, hail batter Mayfest"
721:Barrett, Kevin; Dixon, Richard (August 2012).
292:values near 2000 J/kg, indicative of an
8:
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21:
965:1995 natural disasters in the United States
887:. Associated Press. May 7, 1995. p. 22
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257:National Weather Service Fort Worth, Texas
27:
20:
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323:nearby. Just after 5:30 p.m. CST, a
761:
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753:
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685:Hill, Carolinda (July 1996). "Mayday!".
299:In the early afternoon of May 5, a
736:(1). National Weather Association: 1–10
517:
500:Tornado outbreak of October 20–22, 2019
253:National Severe Storms Forecast Center
243:over the western U.S., while a nearby
478:Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
432:Golf ball-sized hail occurred in the
421:service in some areas. One flight at
290:convective available potential energy
7:
380:. The storm slowed as it moved into
945:Weather events in the United States
490:List of costly or deadly hailstorms
635:Goodge, Grant W., ed. (May 1995).
211:that killed 17 people in the
14:
859:"The Fort Worth, Texas Hailstorm"
767:"The Mayfest Storm: May 5, 1995"
101:> 70 mph (115 km/h)
404:, the site of Mayfest, in 2010
307:straddling the border between
1:
699:10.1080/00431672.1996.9925405
459:multifamily residential units
16:1995 supercell storm in Texas
835:. Dallas, Texas. May 6, 1995
325:high precipitation supercell
792:Hanna, Bill (May 1, 2015).
538:Journal of Hydrometeorology
341:severe thunderstorm warning
278:mesoscale convective system
229:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
188:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
158:Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
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363:. The hailfall struck the
259:, both predicted that any
186:that struck parts of the
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93:
89:
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52:
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26:
798:Fort Worth Star-Telegram
471:Dallas Police Department
359:, encompassing downtown
349:bounded weak echo region
337:National Weather Service
121:4.5 in (11 cm)
912:Weather and Forecasting
833:The Dallas Morning News
730:National Weather Digest
495:2000 Fort Worth tornado
637:"Storm Data: May 1995"
405:
400:
294:unstable environment
800:. Fort Worth, Texas
410:severe thunderstorm
23:
885:The New York Times
406:
365:Fort Worth Mayfest
303:developed along a
201:Fort Worth Mayfest
180:1995 Mayfest storm
141:20 fatalities
38:Fort Worth Mayfest
22:1995 Mayfest Storm
657:on April 11, 2023
467:Dallas Love Field
423:Dallas Love Field
347:and a pronounced
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972:
955:1995 meteorology
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235:on May 4, 1995.
149:$ 2 billion
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506:Hurricane Betsy
486:
465:warehouse near
463:Haggar Clothing
395:
373:tornado warning
339:(NWS) issued a
333:Parker counties
273:Northern Mexico
231:by 7 p.m.
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182:was a damaging
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75:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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544:(5): 469–489.
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386:flash flooding
357:Tarrant County
319:that enhanced
261:severe weather
237:Weather models
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209:flash flooding
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154:Areas affected
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960:1995 in Texas
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855:Marshall, Tim
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369:Trinity River
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889:. Retrieved
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863:. Retrieved
861:. Stormtrack
849:
837:. Retrieved
832:
802:. Retrieved
797:
787:
775:. Retrieved
770:
738:. Retrieved
733:
729:
693:(3): 25–28.
690:
686:
659:. Retrieved
652:the original
647:
643:
598:
541:
537:
475:
455:Turtle Creek
451:
439:
431:
415:
407:
402:Trinity Park
298:
265:
255:(NSSFC) and
249:thunderstorm
222:
179:
177:
118:Largest hail
98:Highest gust
18:
687:Weatherwise
427:TU Electric
353:mesocyclone
301:squall line
284:. The warm
78:May 5, 1995
74:May 5, 1995
65:Flash flood
950:Hailstorms
939:Categories
644:Storm Data
513:References
361:Fort Worth
329:Palo Pinto
313:New Mexico
288:exhibited
269:jet stream
245:warm front
225:cold front
138:Fatalities
61:Hail storm
891:April 12,
865:April 12,
839:April 12,
804:April 12,
771:mayfest15
740:April 11,
661:April 11,
378:Arlington
345:hook echo
205:supercell
184:hailstorm
172:counties)
857:(1995).
777:April 3,
484:See also
443:Benbrook
321:helicity
305:dry line
286:air mass
282:Oklahoma
219:Synopsis
434:Annetta
317:mesolow
197:Tarrant
170:Tarrant
76: (
393:Impact
241:trough
213:Dallas
193:Parker
168:, and
166:Parker
162:Dallas
146:Damage
71:Formed
34:NEXRAD
726:(PDF)
655:(PDF)
640:(PDF)
603:(PDF)
447:Aledo
419:9-1-1
309:Texas
280:over
271:over
893:2023
867:2023
841:2023
806:2023
779:2023
742:2023
663:2023
331:and
311:and
195:and
178:The
57:Type
920:doi
695:doi
546:doi
233:CST
941::
916:13
914:.
910:.
883:.
831:.
814:^
796:.
769:.
750:^
734:36
732:.
728:.
707:^
691:49
689:.
671:^
648:37
646:.
642:.
611:^
560:^
540:.
536:.
520:^
223:A
164:,
63:,
928:.
922::
895:.
869:.
843:.
808:.
781:.
744:.
701:.
697::
665:.
554:.
548::
542:2
160:(
80:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
