Hail
Texas hail can be baseball-size or bigger. Get vehicles under cover, stay inside and away from windows, and don't go out to 'watch' it.
Weather / Storms
Tornadoes & severe storms.
Texas severe weather can turn dangerous fast - tornadoes, baseball-size hail, deadly lightning, and winds that hit hurricane force. The good news is that knowing where to go, and acting on a warning, keeps you safe.
Tornadoes
Texas records more tornadoes than any other state (it's the biggest state - per square mile, Oklahoma and Florida rank higher). The peak is spring, but the risk runs much of the year, especially in North and Central Texas. This is where watch vs. warning matters most.
The one thing
When a tornado warning is issued, take shelter now: get to the lowest floor and an interior room - a closet, bathroom, or hallway - away from windows, with as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Cover your head and neck.
- In a mobile or manufactured home, get out - even tied down, they offer little protection (most tornado deaths happen in mobile homes). Go to a sturdy building or storm shelter you've picked ahead of time, ideally during the watch.
- Caught outside with no shelter? Get to a sturdy building if you can. If not, lie flat in a low spot or ditch and cover your head.
- Do not shelter under a highway overpass - wind speeds up there and debris flies. It's one of the worst places to be.
Thunderstorms - hail, lightning & wind
Texas thunderstorms can be violent, with three main dangers - and Texas sees some of the biggest hail in the country (a 7.1-inch stone that fell in 2024 was certified as the state record in 2026).
The one thing
When thunder roars, go indoors. No place outside is safe in a storm - get into a sturdy building or a hard-topped vehicle, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
Lightning
If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck - lightning can reach 10 miles from a storm. Outdoors, avoid open fields, lone tall trees, water, and high ground; get inside and wait it out.
Damaging winds
Straight-line storm winds can hit 100 mph - hurricane force - and do tornado-like damage. Treat a severe thunderstorm warning seriously and get inside.
Keep going
Official sources
Tornado shelter guidance and lightning safety both come from the National Weather Service. Severe thunderstorm and straight-line wind information comes from NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory.
- Data vintage:
- Storm safety as reviewed June 2026
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- NWS - Tornado Safety - Where to shelter
- NWS - Lightning Safety
- NWS - Why not an overpass in a tornado
- SPC - Tornado safety FAQ
Caution: Warnings are issued in real time and this page never shows them. Keep a NOAA weather radio for overnight storms, and take a warning as your cue to shelter now.
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