Blog Article
May 26, 2026 Weather Recap: MS Flooding & TX Severe Storms
A complete recap of the May 26, 2026 severe weather event. We break down the catastrophic flash flooding in Mississippi and tornado reports across Texas.
The Water Rose Fast
Y'all, yesterday was a heavy one. We started the day with a Flash Flood Emergency down in Mississippi, and by the evening, we had tornado reports popping up in Texas. May 26, 2026, was one of those days where the atmosphere did exactly what the data suggested it would do, but seeing it happen on the ground is always sobering.
The day kicked off with catastrophic flooding in Forrest and Lamar Counties in Mississippi. The water came down so fast that East Hobolochitto Creek near Caesar was forecast to approach a record crest of 19.9 feet. That is a massive amount of water moving very quickly. Over in North Carolina, Henderson County picked up three to six inches of rain. That heavy rainfall washed out roads and pushed water directly into homes. Up in Virginia, Lieutenant Run Creek in Petersburg rose nearly six feet in just one hour.
The Texas Escalation
As the day went on, the severe weather energy shifted west into Texas. We saw a broad complex of storms roll through the south-central part of the state. Storm chasers reported a brief tornado near Quemado, just off US 277. Later in the evening, a radar-indicated Tornado Warning went up for the San Antonio metro area as that storm complex transitioned and pushed east.
The wind was no joke yesterday. We measured a 79 mph wind gust near Batesville, Texas, and a 77 mph gust up at Vigo Park. Those straight-line winds are plenty strong enough to snap tree branches and cause power outages, and we saw exact reports of that kind of damage in Uvalde.
How The Forecast Held Up
Here is the thing about yesterday. The forecast was incredibly accurate. In our previous update, we talked about the Flash Flood Emergency in Mississippi and that massive 79 mph gust in Batesville. We knew the ground was full and the rain was going to keep coming. The data painted a clear picture of saturated soils leading to rapid runoff, and unfortunately, the storms followed the script perfectly.
What Comes Next
The weather is not taking a break today. The Storm Prediction Center has a Level 2 Slight Risk for severe storms across parts of the Mid-Atlantic. If you live in Washington DC, Richmond, or Virginia Beach, you need to watch out for damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph this afternoon.
Down south, the Weather Prediction Center has another Slight Risk for excessive rainfall covering Southeast Texas and the Central Gulf Coast. The ground is still saturated from yesterday, so flash flooding remains a very real threat. Tomorrow, we are even tracking a Marginal Risk for severe storms up in the Pacific Northwest, covering parts of Oregon and Washington. It is not every day we talk about severe hail and wind out there, but the mid-level winds are strong enough to support a few feisty storms by Thursday afternoon.
Bottom Line
Yesterday proved why we have to respect the water. The flash flooding in Mississippi and North Carolina escalated in a matter of hours, and the wind left a mark across Texas. Today, the focus shifts to the Mid-Atlantic for damaging wind and the Gulf Coast for more heavy rain. Have a way to get warnings today, especially if you live near a creek or a low-lying area.