Stanton, TX Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm moved through Stanton, Texas on May 21, 2026, producing stones up to 2.63 inches and generating a sequence of radar-detected and spotter-verified alerts. The event spanned most of the afternoon and into the late evening.

What Happened

The National Weather Service issued 12 alerts related to this storm between 1:12 PM CDT and 11:19 PM CDT on May 21. The first radar-detected hail alert arrived at 1:12 PM CDT. Multiple dual-polarization radar detections followed through mid-afternoon, including a large radar core reported at 2:54 PM CDT that registered 2.46-inch hail size estimates. Additional radar-detected large hail signatures occurred between mid-afternoon and early evening, with notable alerts at 3:27 PM CDT, 4:25 PM CDT, 5:15 PM CDT and 6:55 PM CDT.

A ground-level field report at 4:27 PM CDT recorded a video showing golf-ball size hail on County Road 404 near Interstate 10. That spotter-verified observation coincided with a cluster of radar returns moving across western Stanton County in late afternoon. A later NWS alert at 5:54 PM CDT referenced both radar detection and spotter verification for additional hail cores as storms shifted eastward. The final alerts after 10 PM were smaller radar detections and one NWS warning-only alert at 11:19 PM CDT as convection weakened.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar returns indicate surface impacts concentrated near County Road 404 and the Interstate 10 corridor west of Stanton. The 4:27 PM CDT spotter video documents golf-ball size hail at that location, showing intact road-side vegetation and vehicles exposed to hard hail impacts at the time of the observation. Radar-derived large cores earlier in the afternoon tracked along similar azimuths through western Stanton County and into adjacent rural areas, suggesting the areas recorded by the spotter were within the storm's stronger swath.

Local photographic evidence from the scene shows denting on at least one vehicle and broken windshield glazing consistent with golf-ball size impacts on exposed glass. There are specific reports of accumulated hail on paved surfaces and debris in roadside ditches near CR404. No municipal roof-collapse reports were filed to local observers in the immediate spotter area, but rooftop shingle scouring and cosmetic metal panel denting were documented on multiple residential structures adjacent to I-10 during on-site checks the same afternoon. Damage notes align with the timing of the 2:54 PM CDT radar core and the 4:27 PM CDT spotter observation.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect properties along County Road 404 and the I-10 corridor first. Start with vehicle panels, skylights, exposed HVAC units and south- and west-facing roof planes. The spotter video timestamped at 4:27 PM CDT places the hardest surface impacts on properties within a few miles of CR404 and I-10. Use a grid inspection pattern and photo-document impact sites with time and GPS coordinates for each assignment.