Live snapshot as of 1:35 PM PDT (3:35 PM CDT) — the National Weather Service in Lubbock, Texas, has a destructive severe thunderstorm warning in effect for southeastern Lamb County until 4:00 PM CDT. This is one of the dangerous categories of summer storm on the South Plains: 70 mph wind gusts paired with ping pong ball size hail, radar indicated, with the NWS damage threat flagged at considerable. That is the hail-and-wind combination that puts holes in roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles — the exact interior and exterior repair work restoration and roofing crews across the region spend the next week answering calls about.
This is a live snapshot as of 1:35 PM PDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
Littlefield / Spade — Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Issuing office: NWS Lubbock TX (weather.gov/lub)
Issued: 3:23 PM CDT, Monday, September 21, 2026
Expires: 4:00 PM CDT, Monday, September 21, 2026
Coverage: southeastern Lamb County, TX
Source of hazard: Radar indicated
Damage threat (NWS): CONSIDERABLE
At 3:23 PM CDT, the severe thunderstorm was located over Spade, about 8 miles east of Littlefield, and was nearly stationary. The official NWS alert headline reads: “A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN LAMB COUNTY.”
Verbatim hazard detail from the warning: “HAZARD…70 mph wind gusts and ping pong ball size hail.” The alert’s parameter block lists max wind gust at 70 MPH and max hail size at 1.50 inches — radar-indicated hail consistent with ping pong ball size.
Locations impacted include: Littlefield and Spade.
Expected impacts, in the NWS’s own words: “People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.”
NWS instruction: “Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.” Alert source: the NWS alert record via api.weather.gov (VTEC /O.CON.KLUB.SV.W.0262/).
Stay safe right now
A storm that is nearly stationary is one that keeps dropping hail and rain on the same place. If you are in southeastern Lamb County:
- Get indoors and away from windows. Ping pong ball size hail shatters windows and dents vehicles — the NWS explicitly warns people and animals outdoors will be injured.
- Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. With 70 mph gusts, interior rooms protect you from wind-borne debris and broken glass.
- Never drive through flooded roadways. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm and may lead to flash flooding. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles — turn around, don’t drown.
- Mobile homes need extra respect at 70 mph. The NWS flags wind damage as “also likely” to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. If you are in a mobile home, shelter in a sturdier structure nearby if one is safely reachable.
- After it passes: if hail or water breached the roof or windows, photograph everything before cleanup or tarping. Documentation matters for insurance — and water left sitting starts a second wave of damage within a day.
What this means for restoration teams
This is the signature hail/wind event of the South Plains storm season, and it reads like a demand forecast for the week ahead.
Hail first: 1.5-inch hail at near-stationary dwell time over Littlefield and Spade is the profile for roof membrane damage, dented metal roofing, cracked siding, shattered skylights and windows, and body damage on vehicles. The NWS’s own impact line — “Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles” — is about as explicit as these warnings get. Expect the call volume for hail inspection and tarping to start within hours of the storm’s passage and run for days as homeowners discover damage.
Wind second: 70 mph gusts on trees and structures, with “considerable tree damage” expected, means downed limbs on roofs, lifted shingles, torn flashing, and damaged mobile homes and outbuildings. Wind-lifted roofing plus the torrential rainfall the NWS notes means water intrusion under the envelope even where the roof wasn’t destroyed.
Water third: “Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding.” A nearly stationary storm trains rain over the same drainage — low-lying areas, underpasses, and poor drainage around foundations take the first hits. Flash-flood intrusions in a storm like this are typically the fast, dirty water that saturates drywall and insulation quickly and starts the 24–48 hour mold clock.
The play: stage equipment now — a storm that parks over a town at 3:30 in the afternoon generates calls before dinner. Pre-position drying assets, keep an on-call rotation through the evening, and capture address, water source, and affected areas on the first call. Photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.
FEMA & federal assistance
If your property is damaged, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local, 7 days). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA app, and find recovery centers at fema.gov/drc.
Basic eligibility: citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe — you don’t need to wait for an inspector to document the damage first, but keep every photo and receipt.
Looking ahead
The warning expires at 4:00 PM CDT — and with the storm nearly stationary over Spade at issue time, the back edge of the warned area needs to watch for the warning to be extended or renewed rather than cleanly expiring. The NWS updates these products continuously; treat the next NWS statement as the real all-clear, not the clock alone.
Watch overnight: nearly stationary severe storms are exactly the setup that produces additional rounds on the same corridor, and creeks and low-lying drainage in southeastern Lamb County can respond to torrential rainfall well after the hail stops. If you live near low ground, keep an eye on it through the evening.
Demand window note: hail-inspection and water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of the storm passing and keep coming for days as people discover damage — first the tarping and board-up work, then the interior drying once ceilings and windows show their wounds.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS alert: Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Lamb County, TX (api.weather.gov)
- Issuing office: NWS Lubbock
- Active alerts for your area: weather.gov — enter your ZIP for county-specific warnings.
To verify for your own county or ZIP: go to weather.gov, enter your ZIP code, and check active watches and warnings from the local NWS office page.
This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.
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