Severe thunderstorms hit Val Verde County, hail and 60 mph winds reported

Ping pong ball-size hail hit Comstock while 60 mph gusts whipped Lake Amistad near Rough Canyon, turning an evening of storms into a fast-moving hazard for drivers, boaters and property owners across Val Verde County.

At 6:49 p.m. on April 14, the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office said a severe thunderstorm was near Amistad Acres, about 17 miles south of Comstock, moving east at 35 mph. The warning covered southeastern Val Verde County, northwestern Kinney County and southwestern Edwards County until 7:45 p.m. and called for ping pong ball-size hail and 60 mph wind gusts. The weather service said people and animals outdoors could be injured and that roofs, siding, windows, vehicles and trees could be damaged.

A later warning at 8:25 p.m. said another severe thunderstorm was 8 miles southwest of Amistad Acres, or 18 miles south of Comstock, moving northeast at 30 mph. That storm carried the threat of half-dollar-size hail and 60 mph gusts, and the weather service specifically told people on or near Lake Amistad to get off the water and seek shelter because lightning can strike up to 15 miles from a thunderstorm. The warning zone included Rough Canyon Recreation Area, the 277 South Boat Ramp, 277 North Campground, San Pedro Canyon, Spur 406 Campground and Rock Quarry Campground, putting popular shoreline and campground spots directly in the storm path.

The storm track stretched across Del Rio, Lake View, Amistad Village, Black Brush Point, Amistad Acres, Box Canyon, Val Verde Park, Devils Shores, San Pedro Canyon and Rough Canyon. In Comstock, the hail size matched the weather service’s guidance for 1.5-inch hail, a measurement it classifies as ping pong ball size.

The storms also brought meaningful rain to Del Rio and nearby neighborhoods. Del Rio meteorologist Daniel Schreiber said parts of the city picked up nearly 2 inches from several rounds of thunderstorms Saturday night and Sunday morning. He reported 24-hour totals of 1.71 inches in Alta Vista, 1.84 inches in Ceniza Hills, 1.75 inches on Industrial Boulevard and Frontera Road, and 1.14 inches in Comstock, while San Felipe Creek crested at 10.87 feet.

The weather pattern remained unsettled across South Central Texas. National Weather Service forecasters said April sits in the middle of the region’s primary severe weather season, and an April 12 outlook warned that another round of strong to severe storms was possible out west along the Rio Grande. For Val Verde County, the message was plain: hail, wind and lightning can arrive quickly, and Lake Amistad, Comstock and Del Rio can all be in the danger zone within minutes.