{"id":248154,"date":"2026-04-13T21:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/248154\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T21:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:40:12","slug":"update-thunderstorms-with-penny-sized-hail-in-north-texas-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/248154\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Thunderstorms with penny-sized hail in North Texas Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/66d2e164-ade5-433c-87ce-d6fc695109cf.png\"   width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" title=\"\" alt=\"unitedrobots photography\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-telegram.com\/news\/nation-world\/national\/article280707640.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>An updated report from the NWS Fort Worth TX was issued on Sunday at 8:56 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 9:30 p.m. The alert is for Dallas, Kaufman and Ellis counties.<\/p>\n<p>The storms may bring penny-sized hail (0.75 inches).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At 8:56 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm near Wilmer, or near Lancaster, moving northeast at 25 mph,&#8221; adds the NWS. &#8220;Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Expect strong thunderstorms in the following locations:<\/p>\n<p>Dallas, Lancaster, Seagoville, Hutchins, Wilmer, and Ferris around 9 p.m.Combine around 9:10 p.m.Mesquite around 9:15 p.m.Balch Springs around 9:20 p.m.Crandall around 9:25 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>The NWS comments, &#8220;If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This alert is in effect until 9:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Weather Watches and WarningsLive, real-time data from the National Weather Service showing official weather watches, warnings, and advisories. Tap or click a highlighted area for details. <\/p>\n<p>Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform, and Esri.<\/p>\n<p> Map by Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.comWhat to do as threat of lightning approaches? <\/p>\n<p>Around 25 million lightning strikes occur in the United States every year, with most taking place during the summer months. The NWS reports that these strikes result in about 20 fatalities annually. The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above. As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.<\/p>\n<p>Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm:<\/p>\n<p>To decrease the risk of getting struck by lightning, when you go outside, establish a plan to reach a safer place.If the sky grows ominous and you hear thunder, seek out a safe place to take shelter.Once inside, abstain from touching corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing, and windows and doors.Wait for 30 minutes after the final lightning or thunder before heading outside again.<\/p>\n<p>If finding indoor shelter is not an option:<\/p>\n<p>Steer clear of open fields, hilltops, or ridge tops.Avoid tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects. If you are in a forest, stick to areas with shorter tree cover.If you are in a group, disperse to prevent the current from passing between group members.If you are camping in an open setting, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low spot. Bear in mind, a tent does not protect you from lightning.Maintain a safe distance from water, wet items, and metal objects. Water and metal do not attract lightning, yet they conduct electricity efficiently.What steps to follow when driving in the rain? Turn on your headlights &#8211; Even when it&#8217;s light outside, using headlights can improve visibility and alert other drivers to your presence.While driving &#8211; Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground. Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.Steer clear of puddles &#8211; Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.Do not follow large vehicles closely &#8211; Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.Steer clear of flooded areas &#8211; When coming to a flooded road, turn around and head back. Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways. Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle&#8217;s mechanical and electrical systems.<\/p>\n<p>What is hydroplaning?<\/p>\n<p>Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.<\/p>\n<p>This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle&#8217;s weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. Hydroplaning is primarily caused by three factors:<\/p>\n<p>Vehicle speed &#8211; When a vehicle&#8217;s speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases. Drive at a reduced speed during wet weather.Water depth &#8211; The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road. It doesn&#8217;t matter how deep the water is, even a thin layer can lead to hydroplaning.Tire tread depth &#8211; Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.<\/p>\n<p>In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here&#8217;s what to know:<\/p>\n<p>Ease off the accelerator &#8211; Step off the gas to slow down the vehicle until the tires find traction.Turn into the skid &#8211; Turning into the skid can help the vehicle&#8217;s tires realign to regain control.Make sure the tires reconnect with the road &#8211; During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.Brake gently as needed &#8211; Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Source: The National Weather Service<\/p>\n<p>                                              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/125d8613-57d7-4b89-b9a9-67f01fb4b9d9.png\"   width=\"1140\" height=\"1573\" title=\"125d8613-57d7-4b89-b9a9-67f01fb4b9d9\" alt=\"unitedrobots photography\"\/>                                                                                                                                                                                                                      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776116411_641_66d2e164-ade5-433c-87ce-d6fc695109cf.png\"   width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" title=\"66d2e164-ade5-433c-87ce-d6fc695109cf\" alt=\"unitedrobots photography\"\/>                                                                                                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>United Robots Fort Worth<\/p>\n<p class=\"summary gray\">This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 8:58 PM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248155,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[150,152,151],"class_list":["post-248154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arlington","tag-arlington","tag-arlington-headlines","tag-arlington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}