Dangerous Supercell Thunderstorm Strikes Southwest Texas With Baseball-Sized Hail and 60 MPH Winds Near Camp Wood and Leakey
TEXAS — A powerful supercell thunderstorm struck southwest Texas on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, producing destructive baseball-sized hail of 2.75 inches and carrying a considerable damage threat across the region. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for the storm, which showed an intense and towering radar structure reaching well into the upper atmosphere.
What the Warning Showed
The active Severe Thunderstorm Warning captured at 7:54 PM on April 29, 2026 showed the following threat parameters:
- Hail: 2.00 inches — Lime-Size
- Wind: 60 MPH
- Damage Threat: Considerable
The storm was centered near Camp Wood with Leakey also in the immediate threat zone. The warning was active with approximately 34 minutes remaining at the time of capture, indicating the storm was still intensifying or maintaining its severe character.
The Volumetric Radar View Tells the Full Story
The 3D volumetric radar view of this supercell, captured via the KDFX radar site at 4:35 PM and valid through the evening hours, shows a striking and nearly vertical hail core spike extending from the surface all the way up through the upper levels of the atmosphere — reaching toward the 35,000 foot level. The deep magenta and purple coloring of the spike indicates the presence of very large hail being lofted to extreme heights within the storm’s updraft.
This type of vertical hail spike in volumetric radar data is a signature of a powerful and well-organized supercell with a strong rotating updraft capable of suspending and growing large hailstones before they fall to the surface.
Baseball-Sized Hail Confirmed
Beyond the warning parameters showing lime-size hail, forecasters confirmed this supercell was warned for producing destructive baseball-sized hail of 2.75 inches. Hail of this size causes significant damage to vehicles, rooftops, crops, and any exposed property or livestock in its path.
The storm tracked through a sparsely populated but rugged stretch of the Texas Hill Country near Camp Wood and Leakey, in Real County and surrounding areas of southwest Texas.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for continuing updates on severe weather across Texas and the surrounding region.
