Storm reports for March 20, 1998

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

← Mar 19, 1998 All 1998 storm days · March 1998 Mar 24, 1998 →

Other storms on March 20 →

On March 20, 1998, 74 hail, 18 damaging-wind and 11 tornado reports were logged across 5 states. The largest hail reported was 2.00″ (hen egg size) in Mecklenburg County, NC. Tornadoes killed 2.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.

Storm reports by state

Cities with hail reported within 5 miles

Hail reports (74)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $36.8 million in property damage, 34 injuries and 2 deaths from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (108 events in 5 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Wake County, NC (near Garner) · Tornado F2 · $650,000 · 2 injuries
  “The tornado remained a funnel as it roared over the Greenbrier Estates just east of US401. Trees were sporadically uprooted and snapped off. Several trees fell on homes and outbuildings. The tornado touched down on Highway 70 at a church.”
• Durham County, NC (near Bahama) · Tornado F2 · $600,000 · 1 injury
  “A tornado first touched down in rural northeast Durham county off Bahama Road. The tornado moved northeast and took the roof off a manufactured home on a brick foundation. One minor injury occurred in the home.”
• Robeson County, NC (near Proctorville) · Tornado F1 · $20,000 · 1 injury
  “A TORNADO AT POPE ROAD PUSHED A MOBILE HOME 4 FEET OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND SNAPPED A TREE ONTO A HOUSE. A WOMAN WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR MINOR INJURIES. HAIL SIZE 1.25 INCH ALSO REPORTED.”
• Granville County, NC (near Berea) · Tornado F2 · $100,000
  “This tornado occurred with the same parent thunderstorm that produced a tornado earlier in northeast Durham county. The tornado touched down in Berea on Highway 158. A brick ranch home sustained significant damage to the roof and garage.”
• Manatee County, FL (near Anna Maria) · Thunderstorm wind · $100,000
  “Thunderstorm winds caused minor roof damage to several homes and downed trees and power lines from Anna Maria Island to Bradenton.”
• Sarasota County, FL (near Sarasota) · Thunderstorm wind · $60,000
  “Thunderstorm winds damaged pool cages of six homes near the intersection of State Road 72 and County Road 773 (Beneva Road).”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final