Van Horn, TX Hail Storm – October 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm crossed the Van Horn, TX area on 2025-10-24, producing a peak hail size of 2.5 inches and a long run of NWS alerts through the afternoon and early evening. Spotter reports from nearby West Texas communities also confirmed a broader hail corridor with flooding in several locations.

The first alert came at 10:15 AM CDT with 1.5-inch hail guidance. Additional warnings followed late in the morning and early afternoon, mostly in the 1-inch to 1.25-inch range. By 2:55 PM CDT, dual-polarization radar was detecting 1-inch to 1.75-inch hail, with a 1.75-inch radar signal at 2:56 PM CDT and 1.5 inches at 3:00 PM CDT.

Field reports began to line up with the warning sequence around 3:01 PM CDT, when Pecos County emergency management reported quarter-sized hail in Fort Stockton. At 3:05 PM CDT, the same source reported golf ball sized hail near Everts St and Railroad Ave and near State Hwy 18 and 45 Lane. Later in the day, Reagan County sheriff’s office reported half dollar size hail in Big Lake at 4:25 PM CDT, and Presidio County sheriff’s office relayed quarter-sized hail at the Port of Entry in Presidio at 4:40 PM CDT.

Radar confidence stayed active into late afternoon. A dual-polarization alert at 5:07 PM CDT showed 1.25-inch hail, and the strongest radar estimate came at 5:58 PM CDT with 2.5-inch hail. Later alerts held near 1.25 inches and 1.75 inches through 6:58 PM CDT, showing a storm that kept producing hail well after the first reports came in.

Damage Assessment

The field reports show more than a narrow hail core. Fort Stockton had repeated spotter-verified reports of quarter-sized hail and golf ball sized hail, including locations near Everts St and Railroad Ave and near State Hwy 18 and 45 Lane. Big Lake added half dollar size hail and later reports of flash flooding along a few streets. Presidio added quarter-sized hail at the Port of Entry.

Flooding reports also came in from Upton County, with flash flooding along portions of State Hwy 349 north of Rankin and near a few intersections in McCamey. The hail and flooding reports were spread across multiple counties, not concentrated in one town center. The storm affected roadways, intersections, and city streets in separate West Texas communities.

The radar and spotter record also showed a range of hail sizes. Early warnings were mostly 1 inch to 1.25 inches. Mid- to late-afternoon reports confirmed larger stones in the Fort Stockton area, with golf ball size hail at 1.75 inches. Later radar then pushed into 2.5-inch hail, which matches a stronger hail core passing through the broader warning area after the earlier ground reports.

What Contractors Should Know

Crews working the Van Horn corridor should treat this as a multi-county hail event with separate impact points across Pecos, Reagan, Presidio, and Upton counties. The report set includes Fort Stockton, Big Lake, Presidio, Rankin, and McCamey. That spread suggests inspection routes should not stay limited to one town center or one primary highway.

Van Horn, TX Hail Storm – October 2025

NWS WARNING AREAS · 48

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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