Nearly 'Gargantuan' Hail Hits Texas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Massive hailstones, described as "DVD-sized" and edging close to "gargantuan" in magnitude, battered parts of Texas as severe thunderstorms ripped through the region over Memorial Day weekend.
Reports confirmed hail reaching nearly 6 inches in diameter in locations including Afton and Menard, Texas, putting the area at the center of a rare and dangerous weather event.
Why It Matters
This outbreak of exceptionally large hail posed significant risks to residents, property, and infrastructure across Texas, a state already accustomed to severe weather.
The event coincided with the busy Memorial Day weekend, disrupting holiday plans and triggering warnings across the Plains and South.
File photo of hailstones on a lawn in Texas.
File photo of hailstones on a lawn in Texas.
Yesim Sahin/Getty
What To Know
On Monday, MyRadarWX senior meteorologist Matthew Cappucci posted some of the hailstone measurements on X, formerly Twitter.
"When it comes to GIANT hail, there's no place like Texas! Texas got MELON-SIZED hail both yesterday AND today!" Cappucci posted. "Anything over 4.72 inches is considered 'DVD-sized.' Anything over 6 inches is a rare category called 'gargantuan.' Yes, that's the real term!"
Researchers with the In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP) project, funded by the National Science Foundation and led by Northern Illinois University, traveled alongside storm chasers to document and measure hail.
In Afton, Texas, on May 25, 2025, a hailstone measured 5.47 inches in diameter, ICECHIP said on X.
These events came close but did not surpass the Texas record of 6.42 inches set in Hondo on April 28, 2021, or the U.S. record of 8 inches, set in Vivian, South Dakota, on July 23, 2010.
The storms that produced the massive hail also delivered damaging wind gusts of up to 81 mph in Amherst, Texas, as strong as those of a Category 1 hurricane, along with tornado sightings in multiple towns. Flooding also compounded hazards across the region.
The National Weather Service (NWS) classifies hail that is one inch or larger as severe; hailstones of 4 inches or larger are often described as "softball-sized." Designations such as "grapefruit," "DVD," and "gargantuan" are used for even larger stones.
Large hail forms when strong updrafts in thunderstorms lift water droplets high into freezing layers of the atmosphere, allowing ice to accumulate in concentric layers before falling to the ground, according to AccuWeather.
What People Are Saying
NWS meteorologist Matt Bishop, who works at the Fort Worth office, told Newsweek: "We just had a severe thunderstorm watch recently issued, and some of the hail could get as large as tennis ball size in some of these storms. That type of a hailstone if it hits a city can cause millions to even billions of dollars in damage, especially if it encounters a car sales lot with lots of new cars."
AccuWeather said in a report: "Thunderstorms that fire up through Wednesday afternoon and evening, combined with the rounds of thunderstorms in previous days, will continue to raise the risk for flash flooding across the region. Other hazards, including hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes, will also accompany the flash flooding risk."
A forecast from the NWS office in Fort Worth/Dallas: "Scattered strong to severe storms will develop this afternoon and evening, with the greatest chances west of I-35 and south of I-20. Large hail and damaging winds are the primary threats, with a low (non-zero) tornado threat. The main storm timing is between 3 PM and 10 PM."
What Happens Next
Additional severe storms may continue through Thursday night. People in the affected areas should remain vigilant and follow local weather guidance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Official overseeing the National Hurricane Center testified to Congress it's fully staffed—it's not
The National Hurricane Center is 'fully staffed' and any suggestion that the Trump administration fired meteorologists at the National Weather Service is 'fake news,' 'preposterous and silly,' Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick testified to Congress this week. But the administration did fire meteorologists, and the nation's top hurricane forecasting office is not fully staffed as the season is underway. The NHC, like many other parts of the NWS, has a staffing shortfall currently, with five vacancies at the center in Miami, including at least four meteorologists. None of the NHC positions can be filled due to the federal hiring freeze, though the NWS was able to get an exemption for 126 mission-critical vacancies at other forecast offices around the country. The critical staffing issues — which have meant some forecast offices are no longer monitoring the weather 24/7 or launching twice-daily weather balloons — have raised concerns that forecast accuracy will suffer during this hurricane season. 'We are fully, fully staffed. There are no openings on the National Hurricane Center, zero. It is fully staffed,' Lutnick said before a Senate appropriations subcommittee during hearings on the Commerce Department budget on Wednesday. Lutnick claimed again on Thursday the NHC is 'fully staffed,' and falsely stated local weather service forecast offices are fully staffed in an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee. 'It is fake news and inappropriate to suggest a single meteorologist or hydrologist was fired,' Lutnick said. 'That is preposterous and silly.' The Trump administration cut about 100 jobs at the NWS, including meteorologists and hydrologists, according to a fact sheet from Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell's office. The NWS lost even more meteorologists, including many with decades of experience, from early retirement and other incentives the Trump administration offered in order to reduce the size of the federal workforce. In total, the agency has lost about 560 employees during the course of the administration, bringing total staffing levels below 4,000, according to the NWS Employees Organization. This is about 18% below 'necessary staffing levels' and 33% below 'normal' staffing levels. Many local NWS offices are so short on meteorologists in the wake of Trump administration firings, buyouts and early retirement incentives that the agency has authorized internal transfers to fill critical gaps, in addition to the 126 new hires. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reiterated Lutnick's claims in a Thursday statement: 'The National Hurricane Center is fully staffed to meet the rigorous demands of the hurricane season,' spokesperson Kim Doster said. 'Future positions that may be advertised at the NHC will provide additional support and a deeper bench for our ongoing around-the-clock operations.' A Commerce Department spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The hurricane center's staff website shows all but one of its vacancies, which include at least one hurricane specialist, one hurricane forecaster and two meteorologist/programmers. One staff member who took an early retirement offer is still listed on the roster, according to an NWS employee familiar with the matter.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UPDATE Flash flood warning in effect for parts of Coal Region; Strong thunderstorms to hit Valley this afternoon
Strong thunderstorms are forecast to develop across the Susquehanna Valley this afternoon as a slow-moving cold front moves into the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. According to the National Weather Service, potentially severe thunderstorms will move out of Ohio. These storms will be moving east at around 25 mph and will affect the Laurel Highlands, including Somerset and Johnstown this morning, before sliding east into the Interstate 99 corridor, including State College, Altoona and Bedford between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for parts of Columbia, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties until 3:30 p.m. According to NWS, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the area, where there has already been more than an inch of rain, additional rainfall amounts up to an inch are possible. NWS Tweet Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Mount Carmel, Kulpmont, Ashland, Lavelle, Aristes, Fountain Springs, Wilburton Number One, Locustdale, Beurys Lake, Wilburton Number Two, Gordon, Marion Heights, Centralia, Pitman and the Schuylkill County Airport, according to the warning. The storms will likely intensify as they approach and impact the Middle Susquehanna Valley and Interstate 81 corridor between 1 and 3 p.m., NWS reports Wind gusts up to 55 MPH are possible with these storms, along with nickel-size hail in some locations. This is a developing story. More details will be published when they become available.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Official overseeing the National Hurricane Center testified to Congress it's fully staffed—it's not
Hurricanes Storms Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow The National Hurricane Center is 'fully staffed' and any suggestion that the Trump administration fired meteorologists at the National Weather Service is 'fake news,' 'preposterous and silly,' Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick testified to Congress this week. But the administration did fire meteorologists, and the nation's top hurricane forecasting office is not fully staffed as the season is underway. The NHC, like many other parts of the NWS, has a staffing shortfall currently, with five vacancies at the center in Miami, including at least four meteorologists. None of the NHC positions can be filled due to the federal hiring freeze, though the NWS was able to get an exemption for 126 mission-critical vacancies at other forecast offices around the country. The critical staffing issues — which have meant some forecast offices are no longer monitoring the weather 24/7 or launching twice-daily weather balloons — have raised concerns that forecast accuracy will suffer during this hurricane season. 'We are fully, fully staffed. There are no openings on the National Hurricane Center, zero. It is fully staffed,' Lutnick said before a Senate appropriations subcommittee during hearings on the Commerce Department budget on Wednesday. Lutnick claimed again on Thursday the NHC is 'fully staffed,' and falsely stated local weather service forecast offices are fully staffed in an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee. 'It is fake news and inappropriate to suggest a single meteorologist or hydrologist was fired,' Lutnick said. 'That is preposterous and silly.' The Trump administration cut about 100 jobs at the NWS, including meteorologists and hydrologists, according to a fact sheet from Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell's office. The NWS lost even more meteorologists, including many with decades of experience, from early retirement and other incentives the Trump administration offered in order to reduce the size of the federal workforce. In total, the agency has lost about 560 employees during the course of the administration, bringing total staffing levels below 4,000, according to the NWS Employees Organization. This is about 18% below 'necessary staffing levels' and 33% below 'normal' staffing levels. Many local NWS offices are so short on meteorologists in the wake of Trump administration firings, buyouts and early retirement incentives that the agency has authorized internal transfers to fill critical gaps, in addition to the 126 new hires. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reiterated Lutnick's claims in a Thursday statement: 'The National Hurricane Center is fully staffed to meet the rigorous demands of the hurricane season,' spokesperson Kim Doster said. 'Future positions that may be advertised at the NHC will provide additional support and a deeper bench for our ongoing around-the-clock operations.' A Commerce Department spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The hurricane center's staff website shows all but one of its vacancies, which include at least one hurricane specialist, one hurricane forecaster and two meteorologist/programmers. One staff member who took an early retirement offer is still listed on the roster, according to an NWS employee familiar with the matter.
