A widespread severe thunderstorm event occurred on the afternoon and evening of the 17th. Thunderstorms initially formed along a dryline near the Texas/New Mexico state line and along an outflow boundary from previous day storms. The ample instability was complemented by large scale lift moving overhead from an upper level jet moving into the southern High Plains. Very intense supercells developed across the entirety of the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and extreme southern Texas Panhandle due to the abundant amount of unstable air. Several supercells produced hail up to baseball size as they slowly moved across the region. One particularly robust rotating storm developed over Hockley County and moved eastward into Lubbock County and through the city of Lubbock. This storm developed several funnel clouds and a brief tornado in far eastern Hockley County. The low level circulation moved directly over the southern portion of the city of Lubbock but did not produce any additional tornadoes. Decaying thunderstorms also produced two high wind gusts. These high wind gusts were measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet at Friona (Parmer County) 64 mph and Lesley (Hall County) 59 mph. Lastly, thunderstorms repeatedly formed over central Bailey County causing flash flooding along Farm to Market Road 746 west of Texas Highway 214.
In the early morning hours of the 18th, stratiform precipitation from decaying thunderstorms produced two high wind gusts. One near Graham of 62 mph and the other near Hackberry (Cottle County) of 59 mph. Both of these reports came from the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet.

High Wind in PARMER, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:20:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:35:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 56.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind in GARZA, TEXAS
From 18-MAY-21 05:05:00 to 18-MAY-21 05:07:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Hail in BAILEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:33:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: MULESHOE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Law enforcement in Muleshoe and an NWS cooperative weather observer reported quarter size hail in Muleshoe.

Hail in LAMB, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:47:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:47:00 (CST-6)
Location: SUDAN
Magnitude: 2.00 
Reported by: Social Media

A photograph on social media showed hail up to two inches in diameter in Sudan. No damage was reported.

Hail in BAILEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:58:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:58:00 (CST-6)
Location: NEEDMORE
Magnitude: 2.00 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported hail up to two inches in diameter in Needmore. No damage was reported.

Hail in MOTLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:57:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:57:00 (CST-6)
Location: FLOMOT
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported quarter size hail northeast of Flomot.

Hail in HOCKLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:44:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:54:00 (CST-6)
Location: CLAUENE
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Multiple reports were received of a swath of hail up to golf ball size from southwest of Levelland to southeast of Levelland crossing US Highway 385. No damage was reported.

Thunderstorm Wind in CASTRO, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:15:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: DIMMITT
Magnitude: 62.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Dimmitt measured severe wind gusts from 1815 CST through 1820 CST. A peak wind gust of 71 mph was measured at 1820 CST.

Hail in HOCKLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:27:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:27:00 (CST-6)
Location: SMYER
Magnitude: 2.50 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported hail up to tennis ball size southwest of Smyer. No damage was reported.

Hail in LAMB, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:33:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:33:00 (CST-6)
Location: SUDAN
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported quarter size hail northwest of Sudan.

Hail in HALL, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:36:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: TURKEY
Magnitude: 2.00 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported hail up to two inches in diameter along Texas Highway 70 just northwest of Turkey. No damage was reported.

Hail in DICKENS, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 16:04:00 to 17-MAY-21 16:04:00 (CST-6)
Location: SPUR MUNI ARPT
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Emergency management in Dickens County reported quarter size hail about two miles south of Spur.

Hail in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:48:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:48:00 (CST-6)
Location: LUBBOCK AIRPARK
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported quarter size hail at 108th Street and Indiana Avenue in the city of Lubbock.

Thunderstorm Wind in CHILDRESS, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 21:30:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: CHILDRESS
Magnitude: 55.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Childress measured severe wind gusts from 2130 CST through 2135 CST. A peak wind gust of 63 mph was measured at 2135 CST.

Hail in KENT, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 16:07:00 to 17-MAY-21 16:31:00 (CST-6)
Location: CLAIREMONT
Magnitude: 2.75 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Several reports of hail up to baseball size were received from storm chasers in a swath from about nine miles southwest of Girard to the town of Girard. No damage was reported.

Hail in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 19:12:00 to 17-MAY-21 19:32:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOLFFORTH
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: Social Media

A tornadic supercell produced a swath of mostly quarter size hail from Wolfforth across a small portion of the southern part of the city of Lubbock from 1912 CST through 1932 CST. A photograph on social media showed a maximum hail size of golf ball size in Wolfforth.

Hail in MOTLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 16:41:00 to 17-MAY-21 16:41:00 (CST-6)
Location: MATADOR
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The Motley County sheriff's office reported ping pong ball size hail in Matador.

Tornado in HOCKLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:50:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:51:00 (CST-6)
Location: SMYER
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Numerous reports of a funnel cloud and a brief touchdown were received on a supercell just west of Wolfforth. The tornado briefly touched down in an open field in Hockley County just west of the Lubbock/Hockley County line. No damage was known from this tornado, therefore, a rating of EF-Unknown was assigned.

Hail in KENT, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 16:48:00 to 17-MAY-21 16:59:00 (CST-6)
Location: JAYTON
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Law enforcement reported a swath of hail along Texas Highway 70 from Jayton to about two miles northwest of Jayton.

High Wind in HALL, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 22:23:00 to 17-MAY-21 22:23:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Hail in BAILEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:16:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:16:00 (CST-6)
Location: BAILEYBORO
Magnitude: 2.00 
Reported by: Storm Chaser

A storm chaser reported hail up to two inches in diameter about nine miles southwest of Muleshoe. No damage was reported.

Flash Flood in BAILEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 18:40:00 to 17-MAY-21 20:40:00 (CST-6)
Location: BAILEYBORO
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Training thunderstorms over several hours across central Bailey County caused flash flooding mostly along Farm to Market Road 746 west of Texas Highway 214. The next morning water was still over Farm to Market Road 746.

Hail in HOCKLEY, TEXAS
From 17-MAY-21 17:21:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:21:00 (CST-6)
Location: SUNDOWN
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported quarter size hail in Sundown.

High Wind in COTTLE, TEXAS
From 18-MAY-21 04:57:00 to 18-MAY-21 04:57:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet