Wichita Falls, TX Hail Storm – August 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm moved through Wichita Falls, TX on August 20, 2025, producing 1-inch hail and a spotter-verified report of 0.75-inch stones after sunrise. The storm carried radar and spotter verification in the 5:30 AM CDT warning area.

The first alert came at 5:30 AM CDT, with dual-source verification tied to 1-inch hail. Field reports followed at 6:30 AM CDT, when a spotter in the area described rushing water 5 to 6 inches high, a fallen tree, and a barbed wire fence brought down by the flow. The observer measured the water with a ruler and rain gauge after emptying the gauge before the rain began.

That report placed the storm in the early morning window, after the first warning but while the event was still unfolding across the Wichita Falls metro. The radar signal and the later ground report stayed consistent on timing and intensity. The hail and heavy rain arrived close enough together to produce both hail verification and runoff damage in the same segment of the storm.

The event concluded the same day. No additional alert was listed in the storm record beyond the single warning area entry tied to the 5:30 AM CDT issuance.

Damage Assessment

The field report shows a brief but forceful surface impact in Wichita Falls during the early morning hours. The main documented damage was water-driven. Rushing flow 5 to 6 inches deep was enough to take down a tree and a barbed wire fence. The report does not describe structural roof or siding loss, but it does confirm enough runoff to move small objects and stress ground-level property.

The hail report came in at 0.75 inches from the spotter note, which sat below the 1-inch verified size in the warning area record. That puts the event in a narrow range where hail was present, but the clearest damage signal in the ground truth came from rainfall and runoff rather than from a large hail swath. The observer’s note also indicates the rain gauge had been emptied before the rain started, which adds weight to the measured water depth in the report.

For contractors, that means the first pass through Wichita Falls should not start with a broad hail assumption alone. The event produced both hail and concentrated water movement. Crews checking homes and light commercial property in the metro should look for roof soft-surface impacts, gutter stress, downspout displacement, and fence-line failures near low spots or drainage paths.

The tree and fence damage point to exposed outdoor assets at grade level. In a mixed residential and commercial setting, that usually means looking first along open boundaries, alley edges, and yards with shallow drainage grades. Where runoff pooled, check for erosion at fence posts, soil washout around small trees, and debris impact near downspouts and curb cuts.

What Contractors Should Know