Storm reports for May 21, 2020

Numbers you can quote

On May 21, 2020, about 110,000 homes were inside radar-estimated hail of 1 inch or larger across 24 counties; the most were in Tom Green County, TX (about 38,500).

• About 38,500 homes in Tom Green County, TX, were inside radar-estimated hail of 1 inch or larger on May 21, 2020. Swath image
• About 19,300 homes in Seminole County, FL, were inside radar-estimated hail of 1 inch or larger on May 21, 2020. Swath image
• About 10,300 homes in Orange County, FL, were inside radar-estimated hail of 1 inch or larger on May 21, 2020. Swath image

Homes are 2020 Census housing units in block groups whose center of population lay inside NOAA MRMS radar-estimated hail (MESH) of 1 inch or larger during the storm day (7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern). These are radar estimates of hail size, not damage counts. More same-day numbers

Cite: National Storms. “Storm reports for May 21, 2020.” https://nationalstorms.com/storms/2020-05-21/. Data through November 6, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports; NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates (MESH) via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; 2020 Census housing units. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

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Other storms on May 21 →

On May 21, 2020, 111 hail, 37 damaging-wind and 10 tornado reports were logged across 8 states. The largest hail reported was 4.00″ (grapefruit size) in Tom Green County, TX. Radar estimated hail of 1 inch or larger over 2,566 square miles containing about 110,000 homes.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Colored areas are NOAA MRMS radar estimates of the largest hail (MESH) over the day, lower 48 states only; radar overestimates and underestimates size, so read it with the ground reports.

Storm reports by state

Cities with the largest radar-estimated hail

Counties by homes inside 1″+ radar-estimated hail

Homes are 2020 Census housing units and people are 2020 Census residents, counted by block group where its center of population lies under radar-estimated hail of 1 inch or larger.

Hail reports (111)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $300,000 in property damage and $1,000 in crop damage from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (158 events in 8 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Webb County, TX (near Laredo) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $200,000
  “Ten utility poles were snapped along the Zapata Highway near La Pita Mangana Road in south Laredo. Power was cut off from 9000 customers in south Laredo. Road signs were blown over also.”
• Hoke County, NC (near Raeford Muni Arpt) · Tornado EF1 · $50,000
  “An EF-1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 100 mph briefly touched down 5.5 miles northeast of Raeford in Hoke County, NC, on the southern edge of the Fort Bragg Military Reservation. Damage consisted of an area of snapped and uprooted pine trees about 200 yards wide at its maximum width.”
• Logan County, OK (near Crescent) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $10,000
  “Tree damage in Crescent with some roof and siding damage on the northeast side of town. Time estimated by radar.”
• Garvin County, OK (near Maysville) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $10,000
  “Barn roof blown off. 4 to 5 power poles snapped on Highway 19 between Maysville and Lindsay. Time estimated by radar.”
• Garfield County, OK (near Enid) · Thunderstorm wind 70 mph · $10,000
  “Damage to power poles, fences, and tree limbs down in Enid. Time estimated by radar.”
• Webb County, TX (near Laredo) · Thunderstorm wind 60 mph · $10,000
  “Power lines were blown down in Rio Bravo.”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final