April 12 is the anniversary of two of the most memorable weather events in South Texas history: A massive, deadly tornado that swept through Rocksprings in 1927, and one of the costliest hailstorms in Texas history left a mark on much of San Antonio in 2016.
1927 ROCKSPRINGS TORNADO
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The F-5 tornado in 1927 swept through Rocksprings during the day on April 12, with winds of at least 260 mph.
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74 people died, while hundreds were injured. That’s approximately a third of the town’s population.
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The tornado was on the ground for an estimated 65 miles!
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Interestingly, you can still find debris from the storm in fields just east of Rocksprings.
2016 SAN ANTONIO HAIL STORM
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Hail of 2-3 inches was common as it crossed the city, with the largest hail size peaking at 4.5 inches in diameter.
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A hailstone of 4.5″ measured at Tezel Rd. and Bandera Rd. tied for the largest hailstone ever in Bexar County (that’s grapefruit to softball size).
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Damage was reported to 136,00 vehicles and 125,000 homes. Roofing companies spent years completing repairs.
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The official cost of the storm came in at $1.36 billion, the second costliest hail storm in Texas history.